International. About three out of four people who work in offices have shown concern about indoor air quality in their buildings (IAQ), according to the report published by Honeywell: "Workplace Air Quality: A Global Concern Arises," which presents the findings of the brand's Second Annual Healthy Buildings Survey.
The results show that respondents in all regions are concerned about the impact of poor air quality on their health, and indicate that they would like to receive information about it from their employers. About two-thirds (62%) receive updates occasionally – or never – on IAQ, and only 15% receive real-time updates on the topic. More than 6 in 10 say they would even quit their job if their employer doesn't take steps to create a healthier interior space.
This report provides comparisons between the various markets and types of facilities, including office buildings, hospitals, airports, schools, and hotels. Some highlights are as follows:
A large majority of respondents (89%) agree that the quality of the air they breathe has a direct impact on their health and well-being. Almost everyone (98%) considers a safe IAQ to have at least one benefit: improvements in physical health (62%); reduced allergies, less sneezing and coughing (60%); lower exposure to airborne pollutants (57%); favours overall mental health (53%); and encourages productivity and problem solving (43%).
- However, few respondents receive updates on the air quality of their building. While nearly a third (29%) of C-level executives receive frequent updates, only 13% of non-C-level workers are actively informed. About two-thirds (64%) of lower-level workers rarely receive updates; others never or, at best, sometimes.
- Just under all respondents (90%) felt it was important to stay informed about air quality in the buildings where they work; of these, 65% percent consider it very important.
Two out of five people (41%) can accurately identify the factors that contribute to good indoor air quality. More than a third (36%) do not know how CO2 levels affect air quality, and 41% are unaware of the role moisture plays.
"These findings suggest that employees in each region are aware that indoor air quality can affect their well-being and expect employers to do something about it, improving IAQ and keeping them well informed," said Sergio Gonzalez, vice president of Honeywell Building Technologies for Latin America. "In a competitive market, demonstrating the effort we make to create a healthy environment can be a factor in attracting and retaining employees. Every dollar that has been invested in improving workplaces and their air quality, monitoring iaQ and communicating it to employees, is a dollar strategically invested."
Honeywell's healthy building solutions integrate air quality, technology and safety with advanced analytics that help improve health inside buildings, operate with greater hygiene, comply with new guidelines and promote employee well-being. Honeywell's advanced IAQ portfolio meets energy efficiency goals and, above all, will renew a building's work experience.
To read the full report, "Workplace Air Quality: A Global Concern Arises," click here.
Methodology
The Honeywell survey was conducted by Wakefield Research with 3,000 office workers, in buildings with more than 500 workers across six markets – ASEAN, Germany, India, the Middle East, the United Kingdom and the United States – between December 17, 2021 and January 11, 2022, through an email invitation and an online form.
Results are subject to sampling variations. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of percentages expressing the results. In the interviews conducted particularly in this study, the chances that the result of a survey will not vary are 95 out of 100, more than 4.4 percentage points compared to the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all the people in the group represented by the sample.
