People spend 90 percent of their time indoors, and much of that time is spent at the office: an average of 47 hours per week. From lighting, to acoustics, to how much time we spend sitting, employees’ workplace experiences can impact their mental and physical well-being, even after they leave the office.
The good news is design decisions can increase health and happiness at work, and mitigate negative consequences of environmental stressors. According to Stanford University researchers, the effects of workplace stress are comparable to those of secondhand smoke. Long workdays and short deadlines contribute to long-term increased risk of cardiovascular disease, along with depression, anxiety, and short-term losses in productivity at work and at home.