We’ve covered plenty of productivity killers in our past posts, but did you know that your office itself might be to blame for lower production from your employees? There’s been plenty of research to show that air quality and pollution can have a significant impact on farm workers. It only stands to reason that the same theory could be applied in offices. Here are 4 surprising environmental factors that may be reducing the productivity and efficiency of your team.

Temperature

The level of productivity for workers can fluctuate based on the overall temperature of their work environment. Believe it or not, a lot of research has been done on this. In fact, according to a study conducted by Cornell revealed that a small increase from 68 degrees to 77 degrees Fahrenheit reduced typing errors by 44% and increased output by an incredible 150%. The more comfortable the temperature in the office, the more productive your employees will likely be.

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Ventilation

Poor air quality can make it difficult to concentrate and remain focused. Good ventilation keeps clean air circulating and can improve the overall output of workers. A series of international case studies uncovered evidence that natural ventilation could result in an increase in productivity of between .5% and 11%. In terms of common sense, it seems somewhat obvious that if one can’t breathe comfortably, the level and quality of the work they produce will be adversely affected.

Lighting

Think having windows in your office might be a distraction to employees? Think again. Workers in offices that have windows have actually been shown to spend 15% more time focused on the task at hand, according to a study by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. As an added bonus, not only will you see an increase in productivity, but increased natural light can also help cut down on your energy costs.

Equipment

Over the past few decades there has been a shift toward providing workers with more ergonomic choices in terms of furniture and office equipment. By definition, ergonomics is the applied science of equipment design, intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort. This has been well researched and documented, with a study by the Office Ergonomic Research Committee revealing that an employer that provided ergonomic furniture and training on how to use it experienced a gain in productivity of 17.8%.

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What does all of this mean for your organization? Well, simply put, if the temperature, ventilation and lighting in your office aren’t up to par, your bottom line might be paying the price. Likewise, if you provide better equipment that is designed to support and enhance the work experience for employees, their output will likely improve significantly. Combine all of this with the industry specific tools at your disposal, such as property management software, and you’ve got a much better chance of maximizing your organization’s productivity and increasing profits overall.

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