A great way to boost productivity and add some fun to your office is by including live plants around your workplace. Office plants are a cost-effective way to lift your team’s spirits and improve productivity.
Recent studies found that adding plants to an office can increase productivity by 15%. The study found that including plants in your office design can result in higher workplace satisfaction, increased concentration, and improved air quality for your employees.
Better Performance
Offices with zero décor are considered “toxic” spaces for humans. When household plants are added to work spaces employees perform better. A study was carried out over 10 years which found a 15% increase in productivity when plants were added to the work environment. Employees who engage with their surroundings produce more output and have an easier time staying focused.
Another study found that students who were in the presence of a real plant instead of a fake plant experienced improvements in focus and concentration. Including real plants for commercial buildings can have an impact on your employee’s mood and how well they function.
Background Noise
Plants can help absorb background noise. The popular design of open-concept offices can produce a cacophony of noise. Having plants in the office can help absorb and deflect some of the office chatter. This is especially true if your office design incorporates lots of exposed hard surfaces. Positioning large plants around the perimeter is a good way to muffle unwanted sounds and distractions.
Air Quality
Plants are nature’s air purifiers absorbing harmful gasses. Office equipment emits noxious smells and gasses that plants can help soak up. Plants trap airborne particles like dust, pollen and bacteria which can cause respiratory problems and allergies.
Improving indoor air quality helps to reduce sick days. If your office has poor ventilation, adding live indoor plants can reduce the risk of “sick building syndrome”. Plants by themselves cannot fix the problem, but they are definitely part of the solution if your building suffers from this malady.
Stress
Office plants have been shown to reduce stress. Studies have shown that introducing plants to the workspace resulted in a 37% reduction in anxiety, a 44% reduction in office hostility, a 40% reduction in fatigue, and a reported 58% reduction in depression. Plants can elevate mood, self-esteem and job satisfaction.
Energy Efficiency
When plants breathe they increase the humidity levels in a building and can lower the temperature by as much as 10 C. One study found that a single healthy tree can cool a building as effectively as 10 air conditioning units. Including larger species of trees where suitable can reduce energy consumption and reliance on air conditioning.
Health
The Australian government concedes that the majority of Australians spend 90% of their time indoors. The health impacts of many of the chemicals used in building materials are not well understood. Most chemicals in indoor air environments have not been thoroughly tested and little is known about their long-term health effects.
Many low-maintenance plants provide a host of benefits for employers and employees with busy schedules.
