Office Landlords Should Be Transparent About Office Air Quality
ASIA PACIFIC – A survey by Honeywell shows that all polled office workers in Southeast Asia who works in an office building think that it’s crucial for their employer or building manager to keep them updated regarding the indoor air quality of their office building, according to a press release published by Cision on Tuesday morning (22 February, SGT).
According to Honeywell’s 2nd annual Healthy Buildings Survey, 92 percent of Southeast Asia respondents work inside an office building at least part time. However, only 48 percent of those surveyed said they know a lot about their building’s indoor air quality (IAQ).
Nonetheless, 59 percent shared that they can access information on their office building’s IAQ on their own, while 58 percent revealed that their building’s IAQ is monitored often or continuously. However, 69 percent remain at least somewhat worried about their indoor air quality.
Despite high awareness and accessibility of IAQ information, polled office workers in Southeast Asia are among the least knowledgeable about the factors that affect their building’s indoor air quality. In fact, 66 percent are unable to correctly identify contributing factors to IAQ, like CO2 levels, humidity, and temperature, surpassing the global average of 59 percent.
“This finding suggests that there is room for employers to improve communication of IAQ metrics, especially given that 68 percent of respondents say they are ready to leave their job if their employer isn’t taking steps to create a healthier indoor environment,” noted Honeywell.
Versus other regions, polled Southeast Asia office workers had lower awareness regarding the impact of IAQ on their health and well-being, with 79 percent of respondents saying so, which is 10 percentage points lower than the global average of 89 percent, it added.
“These findings suggest that communication of IAQ metrics to employees should be a top priority for employers,” said Sharad Yadav, General Manager at Honeywell Building Technologies for the ASEAN region
“In a competitive labor market, demonstrating an effort to create a healthier work environment can be an advantage in attracting and retaining employees. Every investment made in upgrading workplace air quality, monitoring IAQ data and communicating it to employees will pay off strategically,” Yadav added.
Honeywell’s latest research surveyed 3,000 workers in buildings with at least 500 occupants in Southeast Asia, Germany, India, the Middle East, the UK and the United States. It was conducted between 17 December 2021, and 11 January 2022 via an email invitation and an online form.
