Incorporating Wellness Solutions in Workplaces

Post-pandemic new normal brings changed demands in business environment and customer needs. In particular, remote working allows employees to complete their work without entering offices. As work styles diversified, the value of work environments has changed.

In recent years, there is a shifted focus to workplace wellness about providing spaces wherein people can be comfortable, safe and healthy. This is boosted by WELL Certification, a global benchmark recognising buildings and organisations for delivering intentional spaces that enhance people’s well-being and health, among others.

Hence, employers are seeking to achieve workplace wellness in offices as the well-being and health of employees are vital in ensuring an organisation’s success long term.

Concepts of Workplace Wellness—Light, Air and Thermal Environment

The function of light has expanded from simple illumination to enriching daily life and from a psychological influence to creating a comfortable atmosphere—covering the evolution in office lighting. The way an office is used is dependent on people-centric conditions like the perceived value of offices and employee work styles.

Light can be a double-edged sword in different settings. For example, brightness can increase working efficiency, yet excessive light exposure can cause discomfort and loss of focus especially when viewing contents on a digital screen.

Air quality also plays an important role. A well-ventilated place can prevent the risk of spreading infectious disease while a fully closed room can increase carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration drastically, causing one to lose focus or feel unwell. Poor indoor air quality can impact employee productivity and corporate earnings.

In typical environments, factors such as temperature, humidity, airflow and radiant heat can affect human thermal sensation. For instance, feeling too cold or too warm can affect employee productivity.

Control is the Key Factor Contributing to Workplace Wellness

Leveraging automation technologies and smart buildings is essential for access control and ventilation. Plus, it promotes safety, security and wellness in a workplace via the following:

Light

• Support psychological health of employees by adjusting circadian lighting to human biorhythm
• Improve working efficiency via a brighter space that increases motivation during active hours
• Promote energy conservation by reducing electricity consumption

Air

• Improve indoor air quality by monitoring, measuring and improving CO₂ concentration through ventilation

Thermal Environment

• Increase occupant comfort by directing appropriate cool or warm air to specific occupied areas
• Enable individualised comfort by introducing wireless desk-installed sensors that measure the thermal environment in workers’ presence

In line with the new normal, new building environmental needs for safety and productivity are emerging, while business opportunities are expanding for the realization of both carbon neutrality and wellness.

Azbil’s building automation solutions help create optimal work setting and production spaces for comfort, health and overall wellness—ultimately helping to boost business efficiency and labour productivity while minimising environmental impact.

Download the white paper titled Workplaces Contributing to the Development of Enterprises With Wellness ✕ Employee Work Style ✕ Sustainability and explore a range of building automation solutions by Azbil Corporation.

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