Office Plants affect Staff in many positive ways. Adding them to your office will certainly make the place look nicer, but what are the other benefits to your employees?
As a business owner, it’s always smart to look for ways to improve your working environment. Even the smallest changes can lead to happier employees and better productivity. Read on below to see how plants in the office can affect staff and their productivity.
Feeling tense? Office Plants can help!
Whether they’re small and sparse or big and bold, office plants are a great way to reduce stress in the workplace. A 2010 study by the University of Technology Sydney compared the mood profiles of staff in office spaces with and without plants. They found significant reductions across a range of stress parameters for those working around plants:
- Tension/Anxiety – 37% reduction
- Depression/Dejection – 58% reduction
- Anger/Hostility – 44% reduction
- Fatigue – 38% reduction
- Confusion – 30% reduction
- Change in overall negativity – 64%
Reduced stress = reduced absence
Reducing stress isn’t just a benefit for your staff. In the long term, it reduces staff illness and absences. Research also shows that indoor plant presence reduces sick leave by 20-60%. They found significant reductions in the following illness symptoms too:
- Dry eyes, nose and throat – 20%
- Perceptions of pain – 25%
- Coughing and wheezing – 35%
Cleaner air can also contribute to the health of staff. There are a wide range of plants suitable for removing pollutants from indoor environments. Everything from carbon monoxide to faecal particles can be tackled by our leafy companions – with the majority of plants producing oxygen as they photosynthesise. These qualities are amongst the reasons that NASA uses them on its missions.
