Abstract
PurposeThis paper aims to explore the added value of healthy workplaces for employees and organizations, in particular regarding employee satisfaction, labour productivity and facility cost.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a narrative review of journal papers and other sources covering the fields of building research, corporate real estate management, facilities management, environmental psychology and ergonomics.FindingsThe review supports the assumption of positive impacts of appropriate building characteristics on health, satisfaction and productivity. Correlations between these impacts are still underexposed. Data on cost and economic benefits of healthy workplace characteristics is limited, and mainly regard reduced sickness absence. The discussed papers indicate that investing in healthy work environments is cost-effective.Originality/valueThe findings contribute to a better understanding of the complex relationships between physical characteristics of the environment and health, satisfaction, productivity and costs. These insights can be used to assess work environments on these topics, and to identify appropriate interventions in value-adding management of buildings and facilities.
Highlights
The WHO defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”
A healthy workplace can be defined as a workplace that contributes to the physical, mental and social well-being of its users
This paper aims to reduce this gap in our knowledge, and to answer two research questions: What is the relationship between healthy workplaces and employee satisfaction, productivity and costs? And which evidence is available for these relationships?
Summary
The WHO defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. A healthy workplace can be defined as a workplace that contributes to the physical, mental and social well-being of its users. Health is the result of a complex interaction between the physiological, psychological, personal and organizational resources available to individuals and the stress placed upon them by their physical and social environment at work and home (Clements-Croome, 2018). © Theo van der Voordt and Per Anker Jensen. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
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