Does office space occupation matter? The role of the number of persons per enclosed office space, psychosocial work characteristics, and environmental satisfaction in the physical and mental health of employees

How salutogenic workplace characteristics influence psychological and cognitive responses in a virtual environment

Until today, most research focussed on the effects of pathogenic workplace demands on employee illness instead of on salutogenic resources on health. Using a stated-choice experiment in a virtual open-plan office, this study identifies key design aspects that enhance psychological and cognitive responses, ultimately improving health outcomes. The study systematically varied six workplace attributes: screens between workstations, occupancy rate, presence of plants, views outside, window-to-wall ratio (WWR), and colour palette. Each attribute predicted perceptions of at least one psychological or cognitive state. Plants had the highest relative importance for all expected responses but views outside with ample daylight, red/warm wall colours, and a low occupancy rate without screens between desks were also important. Low-cost interventions like adding plants, removing screens, and using warm wall colours can contribute to a healthier open-plan office environment. These insights can guide workplace managers to design environments that support employees' mental states and health.Practitioner summary: Salutogenic workplace resources that promote health have been understudied. This study aimed to show which workplace characteristics caused positive psychological and cognitive responses to improve health, using a stated-choice experiment in a virtual office environment. Plants in the office were the most important attribute for employees' psychological and cognitive responses.

Behavioral intentions and perceived stress under isolated environment

BACKGROUND

Isolation is a special environment that will affect the mental health and behavior of individuals. The current study was to explore the relationship between behavior intention (BI) and perceived stress in isolated environment during Shanghai Omicron pandemic.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted between April 8 and 14, 2022. Three self-reported questionnaires were used to evaluate quarantine duration, stress perception, and BI. A total of 1042 participants in Shanghai under quarantine at home were included by random sampling. Logistic regression and one-way variance analysis were used to determine the risk factors related to BI.

RESULTS

The finding implicated negative BI was more reported by the population of males, with lower educational background, with jobs, and youngers. A negative association existed between perceived stress and BI (B = -1.004, p = .003, OR = 0.367, 95% CI = .191-.703). The proportion of positive BI decreased with quarantined duration, whereas the negative BI seemed vibrate upward then downward.

CONCLUSION

There existed a significant effect of quarantined days on perceived stress with different BIs. High perceived stress was a risk factor of positive BI. This preliminary study has significance to understand the effect of compulsory measures on BI and for policies makers to take a psychosocial perspective to consider the effective pandemic intervention strategies.

COVID-19 hospital indoor environments and how it helped patients' recovery and staff's work: a case study in South Korea

The indoor environment has been recognized as a crucial factor that can influence health and wellbeing of occupants. This is particularly true in hospital settings, where various environmental attributes can significantly affect patients' recovery and staff members' productivity. The present study aimed to investigate how occupants in hospitals perceived indoor environment, focusing specifically on COVID-19 hospitals across Republic of Korea. The study recruited two groups of participants: patients (n = 100) who had been hospitalized in COVID-19 hospitals and staff members (n = 103) who worked in COVID-19 hospitals. The data collected from the participants were analyzed using multiple regression models to determine which environmental attributes significantly affected their perception of the indoor environment. The study revealed that satisfaction with indoor acoustic environment and odor were significant predictors for how patients perceived the indoor environment as helpful for their recovery from COVID-19. On the other hand, odor was also the significant factor affecting staff members' perceived helpfulness for work. The results suggested that different environmental attributes can have a significant impact on the perception of the indoor environment, depending on the characteristics of occupancy. The study's findings provided insights into the certain environmental factors that COVID-19 hospitals can prioritize. These insights can help policymakers and hospital administrators to develop strategies to create hospital environments that meet the needs of both groups. The study also suggested that further research is needed to investigate additional factors affecting occupants' perception of the indoor environment in hospital settings.

Association of open-plan offices and sick leave-a systematic review and meta-analysis

We aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze the association of employees working in various kinds of open-plan offices with sick leave data, compared to those working in traditional cell offices. Databases of PubMed, PubPsych, and Psyndex were systematically searched following the PRISMA statement. Pooled summary estimates of odds ratio (OR) were calculated comparing sick leave of employees in cell offices with those working in small open-plan offices (4-9 people), and those in various open-plan office solutions (≥4 people). We used Forest plots visualizing study-specific estimates and the pooled fixed and random effects estimators. Five studies were identified (2008-2020) with a total of 13,277 (range 469-6,328) participants. Compared with employees working in cell offices, those working in small open-plan offices were associated with higher odds of sick leave days (OR=1.27; 95% CI 0.99-1.54; p=0.046) as well as those working in various kinds of open-plan offices with ≥4 colleagues (OR=1.24; 95% CI 0.96-1.51; p=0.004). Our results are consistent with those of earlier reviews focusing on other effects of open-plan office solutions such as health and well-being. Different solutions for office design and architectural lay-out should be the focus of future studies to balance pros and cons of open-plan offices.

The business case for a healthy office; a holistic overview of relations between office workspace design and mental health

The role of the physical workspace in employee mental health is often overlooked. As a (mentally) healthy workforce is vital for an organisation's success, it is important to optimise office workspace conditions. Previous studies on the effects of the physical workspace on mental health tended to focus on the effects of a specific element of the physical workspace on one or only a few mental health indicators. This study takes a more holistic approach by addressing the relationship of physical workspace characteristics with ten broad indicators of work-related mental health. Results of a systematic review of empirical evidence show that many aspects of (day)light, office layout/design, and temperature and thermal comfort have been proven to be related to many mental health indicators. Less tacit workspace characteristics (e.g., noise, use of colours) have been explored too, but so far have only been related to a few mental health indicators.Practitioner summary: The absence of holistic insights regarding the empirical proof of the effects of workspace design on employee mental health prevents a clear business case for workplace investments. This paper presents a content analysis of existing studies and shows how seven elements of workspace design relate to 10 mental health indicators.

Effects of increased recirculation air rate and aircraft cabin occupancy on passengers' health and well-being - Results from a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Aircraft cabins are special environments. Passengers sit in close proximity in a space with low pressure that they cannot leave. The cabin is ventilated with a mixture of outside and recirculated air. The volume of outside air impacts the carbon footprint of flying. Higher recirculation air rates could be considered to save energy and divert less kerosene from producing thrust.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate whether higher recirculation air rates in aircraft cabins negatively affect passengers' health and well-being and if occupancy plays a role in this.

METHODS

In a 2 (occupancy: full and half-occupied) X 4 (ventilation regime) factorial design with stratified randomization, participants were exposed in an aircraft segment in a low-pressure tube during a 4-h simulated flight. Ventilation regimes consisted of increasing proportions of recirculated air up to a maximum CO₂ concentration of 4200 ppm. Participants rated comfort, health symptoms, and sleepiness multiple times. Heart rate (variability), as stress marker, was measured continuously.

RESULTS

559 persons representative of flight passengers regarding age (M = 42.7, SD = 15.9) and sex (283 men) participated. ANCOVA results showed hardly any effect of both factors on self-reported health symptoms, strong main effects of occupancy on comfort measures, and interaction effects for sleepiness and physiological stress parameters: Participants in the half-occupied cabin hardly reacted to increased recirculation air rates and show overall more favorable responses. Participants in the fully occupied cabin reported higher sleepiness and had stress reactions when the recirculation air rate was high.

DISCUSSION

This large-scale RCT shows the importance of occupancy, a previously neglected factor in indoor air research. The proximity of other people seems to increase stress and exacerbate reactions to air quality. Further studies on causal pathways are needed to determine if recirculation air rates can be increased to reduce the carbon footprint of flying without detrimental effects on passengers.

Effects of Paradigm Color and Screen Brightness on Visual Fatigue in Light Environment of Night Based on Eye Tracker and EEG Acquisition Equipment

Nowadays, more people tend to go to bed late and spend their sleep time with various electronic devices. At the same time, the BCI (brain−computer interface) rehabilitation equipment uses a visual display, thus it is necessary to evaluate the problem of visual fatigue to avoid the impact on the training effect. Therefore, it is very important to understand the impact of using electronic devices in a dark environment at night on human visual fatigue. This paper uses Matlab to write different color paradigm stimulations, uses a 4K display with an adjustable screen brightness to jointly design the experiment, uses eye tracker and g.tec Electroencephalogram (EEG) equipment to collect the signal, and then carries out data processing and analysis, finally obtaining the influence of the combination of different colors and different screen brightness on human visual fatigue in a dark environment. In this study, subjects were asked to evaluate their subjective (Likert scale) perception, and objective signals (pupil diameter, θ + α frequency band data) were collected in a dark environment (<3 lx). The Likert scale showed that a low screen brightness in the dark environment could reduce the visual fatigue of the subjects, and participants preferred blue to red. The pupil data revealed that visual perception sensitivity was more vulnerable to stimulation at a medium and high screen brightness, which is easier to deepen visual fatigue. EEG frequency band data concluded that there was no significant difference between paradigm colors and screen brightness on visual fatigue. On this basis, this paper puts forward a new index—the visual anti-fatigue index, which provides a valuable reference for the optimization of the indoor living environment, the improvement of satisfaction with the use of electronic equipment and BCI rehabilitation equipment, and the protection of human eyes.

Sources of Occupational Stress among Office Workers—A Focus Group Study

Workplace stress remains a major interest of occupational health research, usually based on theoretical models and quantitative large-scale studies. Office workers are especially exposed to stressors such as high workload and time pressure. The aim of this qualitative research was to follow a phenomenological approach to identify work stressors as they are perceived by office workers. Six focus groups with office workers of different occupations were conducted in Belgium and Slovenia. A total of 39 participants were included in the study. We used the RQDA software for data processing and analysis and the seven job-quality indices of the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) to structure our findings. The results show that work intensity and social environment proved to be main stress categories, followed by skills and discretion, prospects, and working time quality. The physical environment and earnings were not covered in our results. We created organisational (structural/process-oriented and financial) stressors and office workers’ physical health as two additional categories since these topics did not fit into the EWCS. While our findings mainly confirm data from existing occupational stress literature and emphasise the multi-level complexity of work stress experiences, this paper suggests that there are relevant stressors experienced by office workers beyond existing quantitative frameworks.

Workplace change process and satisfaction with activity-based office

Purpose

The purpose of this case study is to investigate how the personnel in an organization experienced the process of change when moving from private offices to an activity-based office (ABO) and how their perceptions of change were associated with changes in their satisfaction with the work environment a year after relocation.

Design/methodology/approach

A comparative pre-post study design and mixed methods were used. Survey data was obtained from 154 employees before the relocation and 146 after the relocation. The data on the 105 employees who responded to both surveys were statistically analyzed. Representatives of different units were interviewed (n = 17) and documentary material was analyzed as complementary material.

Findings

The personnel’s criticisms concerned the reasons for the change, their opportunities to influence the office design and the extent to which their views were taken into account. Environmental satisfaction decreased after moving to the ABO. The personnel’s ratings of the workplace change process before the relocation were associated with the later change in environmental satisfaction. Based on logistic regression, the degree of agreement with management’s reasons for the change was the strongest predictor of the change in environmental satisfaction.

Practical implications

Organizations that move from private offices to an ABO should invest in high-quality change management and simultaneously develop both work and facilities. Special attention should be paid to clarifying the rationale for the change to the employees and to providing them with opportunities to influence during the change. Organizations should continue to monitor user experiences and evaluate the effects of the change after the office redesign and should take corrective action as needed.

Originality/value

This empirical case study is unique as it combined qualitative and quantitative methods and investigated the process of relocation and its outcomes in a one-year follow-up. This approach captured the importance of managing change and assessing the long-term effects of office redesign when moving from private offices to an ABO.

The impact of healthy workplaces on employee satisfaction, productivity and costs

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the added value of healthy workplaces for employees and organizations, in particular regarding employee satisfaction, labour productivity and facility cost.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a narrative review of journal papers and other sources covering the fields of building research, corporate real estate management, facilities management, environmental psychology and ergonomics.

Findings

The review supports the assumption of positive impacts of appropriate building characteristics on health, satisfaction and productivity. Correlations between these impacts are still underexposed. Data on cost and economic benefits of healthy workplace characteristics is limited, and mainly regard reduced sickness absence. The discussed papers indicate that investing in healthy work environments is cost-effective.

Originality/value

The findings contribute to a better understanding of the complex relationships between physical characteristics of the environment and health, satisfaction, productivity and costs. These insights can be used to assess work environments on these topics, and to identify appropriate interventions in value-adding management of buildings and facilities.

Well-being in open space offices: The role of office features and psychosocial working conditions

BACKGROUND

There has been a trend to implement open space offices: wide-spread office floors with modern and colourful furniture. However, there is limited scientific knowledge on the effects of Open Space Offices (OSO). Studies are scarce and show heterogeneous results.

OBJECTIVE

By using the Job Demands-Resources model as a conceptual framework, the present study aimed at investigating the influence of subjective and objective features of the OSO (i.e., office size, desk-sharing, openness) next to classical psychosocial working conditions (i.e., demands, resources) on irritation and subjective well-being.

METHODS

Cross-sectional and longitudinal data out of four different organisations (490 participants, 43.73 years of age, SD = 12.02) were used.

RESULTS

Results showed that both features of the OSO and working conditions play a role in well-being at work. In line with current studies, job demands and resources contributed more to irritation and subjective well-being than features of the OSO.

CONCLUSION

The influence of traditional psychosocial working conditions has so far been neglected in research on OSOs. However, their contribution to employees' well-being next to features of the OSO could explain the heterogeneous findings of the existing research on well-being in OSOs. Thus, when implementing OSOs, employees' well-being can only be enhanced if working conditions are targeted in parallel.

Coworking Spaces: The Better Home Office? A Psychosocial and Health-Related Perspective on an Emerging Work Environment

With the ongoing flexibilization of work, new trends concerning work outside the company's premises such as coworking spaces are on the rise. Coworking spaces are designed to offer collaboration and community in furnished and equipped workspaces on a rental base. There is a growing body of scientific literature on coworking spaces with empirical results of qualitative and quantitative research. The present study adds to the latter by examining psychosocial demands experienced by coworkers in Germany based on a quantitative survey (n = 112). Among coworkers the home office was or still is another frequently used workplace. However, can the coworking space be seen as a better alternative to the home office in terms of work- and performance-related, social, environmental and health-related aspects? Results showed moderate to low psychosocial demands regarding quantitative workloads. Compared to the home office, the coworking space proved to be the preferred work arrangement. Results are discussed with regard to current literature and workplace design. In conclusion, coworking spaces can be seen as an alternative to the home office that was highly valued in the present sample. It is recommended to further emphasize aspects of work environment and ergonomics in order to create health-promoting and satisfying workplaces.

Assessment of Indoor Air Quality Problems in Office-Like Environments: Role of Occupational Health Services

There is an increasing concern about indoor air quality (IAQ) and its impact on health, comfort, and work-performance in office-like environments and their workers, which account for most of the labor force. The Scientific Committee on Indoor Air Quality and Health of the ICOH (Int. Comm. Occup. Health) has discussed the assessment and management of IAQ problems and proposed a stepwise approach to be conducted by a multidisciplinary team. It is recommended to integrate the building assessment, inspection by walk-through of the office workplace, questionnaire survey, and environmental measurements, in that order. The survey should cover perceived IAQ, symptoms, and psychosocial working aspects. The outcome can be used for mapping the IAQ and to prioritize the order in which problems should be dealt with. Individual health surveillance in relation to IAQ is proposed only when periodical health surveillance is already performed for other risks (e.g., video display units) or when specific clinical examination of workers is required due to the occurrence of diseases that may be linked to IAQ (e.g., Legionnaire’s disease), recurrent inflammation, infections of eyes, respiratory airway effects, and sensorial disturbances. Environmental and personal risk factors should also be compiled and assessed. Workplace health promotion should include programs for smoking cessation and stress and IAQ management.