The importance of wellbeing in the workplace – Translation of an article that appeared in Finance, Slovenia’s daily financial newspaper, on Tuesday 2nd October 2018

By Jacqueline Stuart

Most CEO’s agree that one of the greatest challenges businesses face today is attracting and retaining talent.

One strong message from last week’s CEE property forum in Austria was that the workplace environment is crucial. In fact a representative from a global utility manager commented that some millennials are turning down job offers if they don’t like the offices of potential employers.

Workplace stress adversely affects productivity

Further challenges for bosses are absenteeism and workplace stress. Our pace of life is accelerating, and society’s desire to live well, and for longer, means businesses are under more pressure than ever to provide ways for employees to feel good, so they can perform at their best. According to the World Health Organisation, stress is the health epidemic of the 21st century.  One in three European workers is affected by work-related stress according to surveys.

It is clear that most workplaces in Slovenia are far from ideal. Ljubljana has a shortage of Class A office space and many people work in outdated, compromised buildings with excessive noise, poor lighting, inadequate temperature control and poor quality air. There is a great deal of anecdotal and academic evidence linking good employee health and happiness with increased job satisfaction and productivity.

Commonly acknowledged risks to our health today include airborne pollutants, poor diet, stress and lack of sleep, all of which weaken the immune system. But buildings can often have a profound impact on our body functions including impairment to the endocrine and hormone systems.

New buildings are different

Some Companies and cities are putting designs and strategies in place that attract, motivate, inspire and support employees. Investing in the workplace to provide employees with a high quality place to work demonstrates the value placed on them, giving them a sense of pride.

For many people, things like flexible working and being in control of when and how they work are good things. But a lot of people find change hard, particularly in Slovenia, which is a conservative society. Changing the design of a workplace might be welcomed by some, particularly Millennials, but could create anxiety in others.

WELL building certification

Breeam has been certifying sustainable buildings since 1990. In 2014 they introduced the WELL building standard that focuses on human health and is based on 7 years of scientific, medical and architectural research.

Breaam measures access to daylite, air quality and ventilation, and comfort level including the impact of lighting, noise and temperature. The quality of food available in the building is also taken into consideration. There are three WELL certification levels available, Silver, Gold and Platinum. WELL was developed in the US, which is a world away from present day Slovenia, and much of Europe.

What about old office buildings in Slovenia?

Most buildings from the old times face the same challenges. Slovenia has a rather extreme climate, cold in the winter, with very hot spells in the summer. The towers constructed in the glory days of Yugoslavia were state of the art at the time, but less fit for purpose now. Many should be demolished and rebuilt, but this is difficult as most were sold as individual office suites and have many different owners. Some of the older wholly owned buildings are protected by cultural heritage and must be preserved.

It is much easier to develop new office buildings that create a healthy, enjoyable work environment, beneficial to the wellbeing of occupants. But what about the multitude of old buildings developed in the 70’s and 80’s? Can anything be done to improve them?

Thermal insulation can be improved

AC systems are typically sufficient to keep north facing office suites cool in summer, but those facing south become unbearably hot.

In Spring and Autumn, the solar path is low in Slovenia, but the sun is hot and shines straight into south facing offices, whilst those to the north get none of the warmth. Most property managers are able to run either heating or air conditioning, but not both simultaneously in different parts of the building, so there is always a compromise and nobody is happy. Older buildings are inefficient with regards to energy consumption which means the service charges are high. Many do not have individual meters for different occupants which does not encourage responsible use of energy. Cladding is expensive, but effective in providing better insulation. It can also transform and update the look of an office building.

High performance glazing helps insulate

We all need daylight, but windows provide poor insulation. Many new office buildings have high performance glazing that controls solar gains and heat loss. Whilst it would be expensive to replace all windows in an old building, they can be upgraded one by one as required. There is also window film available that provides thermal insulation.

Good quality air is vital for wellbeing

Air quality in most older buildings is poor, and many occupants that have the opportunity to open windows do, even in midwinter. In the 1970s, largely due to the energy crisis, developers realised that buildings had to be sealed to save money, trapping in and recycling the same air through mechanical air conditioning and heating systems. This led to buildings with little or no natural ventilation. Mechanically ventilated buildings attempt to protect us from some of the prevalent air pollutants by constantly filtering the air. Meanwhile, a new set of toxins has been introduced through mould and bacteria contamination of ductwork and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), found in furniture, fittings and cleaning products. there is concern about regular cleaning of HVAC systems and the widespread use of chemicals, cleaners, sealants and coatings. There are ultraviolet HVAC disinfection systems available that might prove to be better for the occupants of the building than traditional methods.

Light is life

Lighting in many older buildings is dim and depressing in parts, and too bright and harsh in others. But changing lighting is relatively simple and inexpensive. Even just changing light bulbs can have a huge impact on the look and feel of an office space. Changing to LED has a positive effect on energy consumption too. Daylight sensors and presence detection are cheap and easy to instal.

Company initiatives for wellbeing

Estee Lauder has introduced a beauty salon in their London headquarters where employees can get express blow dries and manicures. They also have a contemplation room which encourages employees to engage in quiet reflection.

When this newspaper moved to Tivoli Center back in 2014, the owners of the building provided additional bike racks and a shower room for the many people who cycle to work. They agreed that Finance employees could continue to bring their dogs to work.

We at S-Invest get a delivery of fresh organic fruit every Monday so that all team members can have a healthy snack when they feel like it. We also have a chill out room with sofa and comfortable chairs for heads down work, or a break from the noise and activity in our main office. We take a Friday afternoon off at least 6 times a year to enjoy a long, relaxing lunch together.

Every seismic shift starts with a few small changes.

Jacqueline Stuart is a Director of S-Invest d.o.o.