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Without good lighting, plants and privacy, the open-plan office can become a threat to the well being of the people working there.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
\"Kick <\/a><\/figure>\n

Forget office politics: research shows that companies should focus on improving office design to support the health of their employees and make them more productive.<\/p>\n

There is \u201coverwhelming evidence\u201d that office design has a significant effect on the health and productivity of employees, according to a report released in September last year by the World Green Building Council (World GBC) that advocates safer building practices.<\/p>\n

Research conducted by consultancy firm Occupational Health South Africa and Statistics South Africa found that on average 15% of employees are absent on any given day, costing the economy between R12-billion and R16-billion annually.<\/p>\n

World GBC identified interior layout, lighting and air quality as significant factors needed for a healthy office environment but location, a view of nature and exercise-oriented design were also important for employee well being.<\/p>\n

A blueprint for bliss<\/strong><\/p>\n

A strong predictor of workplace health, according to the World GBC report, is an office\u2019s interior layout. Factors such as having designated social spaces apart from working spaces had a positive effect on \u201cconcentration, collaboration, confidentiality and creativity.<\/p>\n

Employees who had a space to go to when they needed a break felt happier and more able to complete tasks.<\/p>\n

Another aspect integral to office-worker behavior is its sedentary nature. Recent research has shown that this can lead to serious health complications in the long run such as heart disease, strokes and diabetes.<\/p>\n

Rebecca Meiring, of the University of the Witwatersrand\u2019s physiology department, said that \u201cvery few muscles are working\u201d while a person is sitting or lying down, which is \u201cthe proposed reason as to how it can be so detrimental to cardiovascular and metabolic health\u201d.<\/p>\n

Bill Helyar, from the local interior design firm Paragon Interiors, said his company often advises clients to create \u201cstand-up\u201d spaces for meetings, with high tables and no chairs, to reduce sitting time.<\/p>\n

According to Helyar, open-plan offices are popular in South Africa because they are cheaper to build and maintain. But a 2013 study of 42\u00a0000 office workers across the globe, published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology<\/em>, found that employees in open-plan offices are regularly exposed to \u201cuncontrollable noise\u201d, which disrupts their work. The research highlighted that prolonged noise can increase stress and negatively affect mental performance and concentration.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a conflict between providing the need for privacy and the desire for openness and communication. There are several design options that can help negotiate this trade-off including personal measures, such as the use of headphones, and organizational approaches, such as providing a range of different work spaces, and allowing staff flexibility in their use,\u201d according to the World GBC report\u2019s authors.<\/p>\n

Paragon Interiors\u2019 Lucy le Roux said \u201cthe overseas [developed countries] workplace is more trusting of staff and permissive of alternative ways of working\u201d, such as working from home on certain days or when performing certain jobs \u2013 a strategy that could help employees complete stressful tasks in a quiet environment. \u201cOne positive is that local workplaces are starting to include alternative work settings in open plan [offices] such as phone booths, quiet rooms and library areas to make these environments more enjoyable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gina G\u00f6rgens-Ekermans, an industrial psychologist at Stellenbosch University, said open-plan offices were lauded as efficient and cost-effective, but new research suggests they may be hazardous to health.<\/p>\n

A recent study published in the international journal Ergonomics<\/em> showed that short-term sick leave rates in open-plan officers were significantly higher than those in closed offices. The authors said this is the result of a higher \u201crisk of infection\u201d among people sharing a workspace and other stressors such as \u201cnoise and less ability for personal control\u201d.<\/p>\n

G\u00f6rgens-Ekermans said that people who feel anxious in social situations may \u201cfind it very difficult\u201d working in an open-plan office. \u201cPeople experience different levels of anxiety so the effect on their psychological state or productivity would be individualized,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpace can have quite a big impact on a person\u2019s psychological state and not having enough of it could be difficult for a person to handle.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, each employee should have at least 2.25m\u00b2 space. An open office space of 2\u00a0000m\u00b2 could fit 888 employees, said G\u00f6rgens-Ekermans.<\/p>\n

Ignite the light<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lighting can also have an effect on \u201ccomfort, social communication, mood, health, safety and aesthetic judgement\u201d, according to the report.<\/p>\n

Numerous studies have linked access to a view from a window with increased well being. Yet the quality of indoor lighting has been found to have more of an effect. Companies using older high-intensity discharge fluorescent lighting often experience \u201cflicker\u201d, which has been associated with eye strain and headaches, noted the authors of the World GBC report. They suggest using \u201chigh-frequency fluorescent electronic ballast\u201d lighting instead.<\/p>\n

Paragon Interior design director Jenny Seddon said it was important for workers to experience the natural changes in light during the day; in the mornings office lighting should be \u201ccooler\u201d, and retain a bluish tint, whereas afternoon light should \u201cchange to a warmer, more yellowish tint. With glass walls everyone is able to benefit from the changing light colors,\u201d she said. \u201cIt becomes very disengaging when there are high panels on the work stations where workers don\u2019t have visual access to changes in light.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seddon said that the idea of \u201cseparation and isolation\u201d doesn\u2019t work in an office environment \u201ceven if the nature of your work is independent\u201d.<\/p>\n

Fever of inefficiency<\/strong><\/p>\n

Office temperature is often a source of tension as occupants tend to differ in their preferences.<\/p>\n

According to the United Kingdom\u2019s Health and Safety Executive, the optimum for \u201cthermal comfort\u201d is when 80% of workers are happy with the temperature. They said that, realistically, at least one in five workers in any office will be unhappy with the temperature.<\/p>\n

A 2006 survey conducted by the UK\u2019s Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers found 62% of workers noted that when the office is too hot they take up to 25% longer to complete a task. A 2004 study found that when temperatures reach 27\u00b0C it results in a 15% reduction in productivity.<\/p>\n

Managing thermal comfort is difficult because it is so subjective and reliant on many factors. \u201cThe sensation of feeling hot or cold is not only dependent on air temperature, but relies on a complex relationship with environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, air movement and radiant heat, as well as personal factors such as the level of activity and insulation afforded by clothing,\u201d Occupational Health South Africa notes on its website.<\/p>\n

Take a deep breath<\/strong><\/p>\n

Air quality \u2013 the factor most closely associated with ill health in an office \u2013 is also the more complex problem to mitigate with design, said the authors of the World GBC report. \u201cOffice occupants may be exposed to a cocktail of airborne pollutants that typically include chemicals and micro-organisms originating from sources both within and outside the building.\u201d<\/p>\n

They note that these can affect the eyes, throat and, in some cases, skin of office workers. \u201cReactions vary but can typically include inflammation [and] watering of eyes,\u201d the report\u2019s authors said. Because these environments can differ so widely, companies need to evaluate their air quality and the level of pollutants to \u201cestablish a control strategy\u201d.<\/p>\n

Indoor vegetation is a relatively inexpensive way to improve air quality. A 1989 report by Nasa advised that indoor spaces include at least one plant for every 30m squared because they produce oxygen and can also rid the air of pollutants.<\/p>\n

Portulacaria afra<\/em>, an indigenous succulent plant locally referred to as spekboom, is known for its carbon-storing capabilities and ability to convert this to oxygen and is a good option for an indoor environment, according to a 2011 University of Cape Town report.<\/p>\n

Plants not only improve indoor air quality; recent research has shown they have a positive effect on mental health. A 2014 study published in the journal Health Promotion International<\/em> analyzed research on the topic and found that \u201cwhen individuals are presented with nature-based stimuli\u201d they become less stressed, more comfortable and are able to think more clearly.<\/p>\n

Paragon Interior\u2019s Lauren Paul said that having an unproductive day at the office has been accepted by many people as \u201cjust the nature of work. Many of us can relate to going to the office expecting to achieve a set number of tasks by the end of the day, only to spend the day in disruption and achieving a third of what we set out to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, said Paul, good office design \u201ccan change the health and happiness of employees; frustration doesn\u2019t need to stay the status quo\u201d.<\/p>\n

\n

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Five ways companies help employees stay healthy and happy<\/h1>\n