Employee Appreciation Day is today – the first Friday in March. While every day presents an opportunity to make employees feel valued, today serves as a special reminder to go beyond words and perks. One of the most meaningful ways to show appreciation? Investing in the health and well-being of employees by ensuring clean, healthy air in the workplace.

 

Clean Air: A Win-Win for Employees and Employers

Providing clean air in the workplace isn’t just about comfort – it’s a strategic investment in health, productivity, and overall workplace satisfaction. The data is clear: poor indoor air quality (IAQ) can lead to a range of health issues, from minor irritations to more serious respiratory conditions. On the other hand, prioritizing air quality results in measurable benefits:

✅ Reduced Absenteeism: Fewer sick days due to respiratory issues, allergies, and airborne illnesses. 

✅ Increased Productivity: Studies from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health revealed that employees in well-ventilated offices with lower levels of indoor pollutants score significantly higher in cognitive function tests, including decision-making and crisis response. 12

✅ Improved Morale and Well-Being: A healthy workplace fosters happier, more engaged employees who feel valued by their employers.

Infographic explaining that Prioritizing air quality results in: Reduced absenteeism, Increased productivity (source: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health), and improved morale/well-being.

Scientific Evidence: The Link Between Air Quality and Workplace Health

Indoor air pollution isn’t just a concern for industrial settings; it affects office workers, educators, healthcare professionals, and employees across all industries. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) recognize that indoor pollutants – such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from office equipment, building materials, and cleaning supplies, plus mold, dust, and other airborne pathogens – contribute to increased absenteeism, diminished cognitive performance, and employee errors.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also identified Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) as a workplace hazard. Symptoms, like headaches, fatigue, respiratory issues, and throat irritation, often subside once employees leave the building, highlighting the direct impact of poor IAQ.3

 

The Hidden Costs of Neglecting Workplace Air Quality

While the immediate effects of poor air quality are concerning, the long-term financial burden on businesses is even greater. According to the American Lung Association, asthma costs $56 billion annually in lost productivity and healthcare costs, and the flu leads to 200 million lost workdays each year.4 Additionally, research from Quartz and First Street Foundation projects that air pollution-related productivity losses – exacerbated by worsening wildfire seasons – could rise to $334.1 billion annually by 2054.5

The consequences extend beyond absenteeism. Poor IAQ can reduce workplace morale, deter top talent, and increase healthcare costs for employers covering medical expenses related to respiratory illnesses and chronic conditions. Investing in clean air isn’t just about employee health – it’s about safeguarding a business’s financial well-being.

A graphic from the American Lung Association, “How Lung-Friendly Is Your Workplace?” which states various costs of lung disease. (Ex. 200 million days of productivity are lost to the flu each year.)

Who Benefits the Most? Everyone – But Especially…

While clean air is crucial for all workplaces, certain industries face heightened risks:

🔹 Teachers & Daycare Employees: Constant exposure to children means increased risk of colds, flu, and other airborne illnesses. Cleaner air protects both staff and students. 

🔹 Healthcare Workers: Hospitals, clinics, and medical facilities require superior air filtration to reduce the spread of viruses, bacteria, and pollutants that put workers and patients at risk. 

🔹 Office Employees:  Indoor pollutants like dust, VOCs, and mold can cause headaches, fatigue, and respiratory issues, leading to lost productivity and discomfort.

Infographic explaining who benefits the most from clean air in the workplace. Certain industries face heightened risks: teachers/daycare employees, healthcare professionals, and office workers.

Investing in a Healthier Workplace

Given the mounting evidence linking IAQ to employee health, productivity, and financial performance, businesses stand to gain significantly by prioritizing clean air. Employers can take several steps to improve air quality, including:

  • Regular HVAC Maintenance: Ensuring heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are properly maintained and serviced to optimize air circulation and filtration.
  • Effective Ventilation: Increasing ventilation rates and introducing outdoor air to dilute indoor pollutants.
  • Reducing Indoor Pollutants: Implementing measures to minimize exposure to VOCs, allergens, and airborne contaminants.
  • Employee Education: Encouraging employees to report IAQ concerns and promoting best practices for maintaining clean air.
  • Adding HEPA and Carbon Filtration: Installing Austin Air purifiers, which remove up to 99% of airborne contaminants as small as 0.1 microns, including dust, pollen, mold spores, VOCs, bacteria, and viruses.

Infographic explaining how to improve air quality in the workplace: Regular HVAC maintenance, effective ventilation, reducing indoor pollutants, employee education, and add Austin Air Purifiers.

The Austin Air Solution

Austin Air purifiers are trusted by businesses, schools, and healthcare facilities to provide the cleanest air possible. With True Medical-Grade HEPA and activated carbon technology, our purifiers create a safer and healthier environment for employees. Cleaner air translates into fewer sick days, sharper cognitive function, and improved workplace morale.

 

Show Your Team You Care

This Employee Appreciation Day, let’s prioritize what truly matters: employee health. Investing in clean air isn’t just a perk – it’s a smart business move that enhances productivity, reduces healthcare costs, and fosters a thriving workplace culture.

For more information, check out resources from the OSHA on how to improve indoor air quality at work.

Because when employees thrive, businesses thrive too.

 

REFERENCES

1 Allen, JG, MacNaughton, P, Satish, U, et al. (2016, June 1). Associations of Cognitive Function Scores with Carbon Dioxide, Ventilation, and Volatile Organic Compound Exposures in Office Workers: A Controlled Exposure Study of Green and Conventional Office Environments. Envi H Pers.Vol 124,Issue 6,805 – 812. doi: 10.1289/ehp.1510037. 

2 Cedeño Laurent, JG, MacNaughtoN, P, Jones, E,  et al. (2021, Sept 9). Associations between acute exposures to PM2.5 and carbon dioxide indoors and cognitive function in office workers: a multicountry longitudinal prospective observational study.  Environ. Res. Lett. 16 094047. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/ac1bd8.

3  EPA. (n.d.). Indoor Air Facts No. 4 Sick Building Syndrome. US Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-08/documents/sick_building_factsheet.pdf.   

4 How Lung-Friendly is Your Workplace? (n.d.) American Lung Association. https://www.lung.org/getmedia/4d23cce7-3a37-446e-8180-248253f739dc/how-lungfriendly-workplace.pdf.pdf.

5 Bratton, L. (2024, February 20). Here’s how much bad air quality from wildfires will cost U.S. employees by the 2050s. Quartz. Retrieved from https://qz.com/air-quality-climate-change-cost-us-businesses-workers-1851252891.

 

Austin Team
Austin Team