Two articles published this past week hammer home the importance and value in creating a green and healthy workplace for employees and others. The first article details the results of a survey conducted by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The second article, published by JLL, highlights what building design techniques and technologies help enhance the health and wellbeing of a building’s residents (watch for the article soon on GLN).
According to the USGBC survey of 1,001 workers, employees who work in LEED-certified green buildings are happier, healthier and more productive than employees in conventional and non-LEED buildings.
When people work in a healthy building, the word gets out and others want to work there too. More than 90 percent of respondents in LEED-certified green buildings say they are satisfied on the job and 79 percent say they would choose a job in a LEED-certified building over a non-LEED building. (I suspect that if asked, travelers would prefer to stay in a LEED-certified hotel over a non-LEED hotel.)
One of the important cornerstones of the LEED program is a high level of indoor air quality. More than 80 percent of the survey respondents said that being productive on the job and having access to clean, high-quality indoor air contributes to their overall workplace happiness. An increasing number of companies are choosing low-VOC furniture, adhesives and paints, providing internal gardens or living walls, and taking other steps to ensure indoor air is as pure as possible.
The Importance of Natural Light
Having visual access to the outdoors and natural light is also critical to employees. Eighty-five percent of employees in LEED-certified buildings said their access to quality outdoor views and natural sunlight boosts their overall productivity and happiness.
When employees can’t work next to a window, design features such as circadian lighting that mimics sunlight can offer similar benefits, says Stuart Finnie, Head of Design at Tétris, in the JLL article. Research suggests that people working in offices with natural lighting enjoy a better quality of sleep and are more active than those who spend their days in darker rooms.
“People today are more tuned into both environmental and wellbeing issues than ever before,” Finnie says. “Companies are increasingly aware of this and now we’re seeing sustainable interior design lead the way for environmentally-conscious design in general. As smart technology becomes more mainstream, the way workplaces are designed and operated will only become greener.”
You don’t need to get LEED certification to have a healthy building that people want to work or sleep in. You do, however, need to apply LEED design principles and create unique spaces that connect guests or employees with nature—especially in cement-intensive urban environments.
According to proponents of environmental psychology, spending time in nature rather than human-made environments has three positive effects: reduced stress, improved mood, and improved cognitive performance. Your lodging establishment should produce the same results. Does it?
I would love to read your thoughts on this. I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Green Lodging News Adds ClearWater Tech Case Study to Website
Green Lodging News has added a ClearWater Tech case study to its website. Jim Massey’s Cleaners and Laundry, of Montgomery, Alabama, was looking to eliminate their high costs of hot water and chemicals used in their textile and garment restoration department. John Massey provided proof of the effectiveness and payback by using EcoTex Cold-Water Disinfection Systems on their washers. An ECO2 ozone system was installed on two of their 60 lb., UniMac commercial washers for a period of 30 days. After that time, management could evaluate the results and document the differences in quality, reduced hot water, chemical reduction, and run times compared to their normal laundry procedures. For more information, call (805) 549-9724 or (800) 262-0203. You may also e-mail sales@cwtozone.com or go to www.ecotexozone.com.
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Who is Your Sustainability Champion?
Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Looking for Guest Columnists
Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
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As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
