“A healthy work organization is defined as one whose culture, climate and organizational practices create an environment which promotes employee mental and physical health, as well as productivity and organizational effectiveness." - L.R. Murphy
To adopt greener and more eco friendly ways of living means deliberately choosing ways to employ healthier alternatives whenever and wherever possible in life. Along with healthy homes our work places need to become greener in nature.
Most of us spend approximately 40-50 hours per week at our work. Workplaces are environments where we need to be at the best our health – physically as well as psychologically so that we can operate with top efficiency and contribute towards maximum production.
A lot of research has been done to suggest that well designed and greener work places are also proficient workplaces, not only with regards to saving energy but because of increased productivity due to increased well being of the staff.
There are three major components for a green business to exist and thrive. First is the material component that includes well designed work areas utilizing all the resources to their maximum efficiency, i.e. adopting energy efficient appliances and gadgets etc.
The second is the human component where the employees’ mindset and attitude is eco friendly in approach so that it is mindful in its usage of the available resources. The third component is the philosophy, work ethics and incentives offered by the business that encourages and drives the people towards implementing such ideas. It acts as the binding factor for everything else to work well together.
The scale of the establishment is insignificant in adopting such an approach. Whether it is a one man show or a multinational company employing hundreds of people, if the philosophy of the company is eco friendly in nature then it cannot stop it from making a difference. There are many ideas that one can implement either in the long or short term to achieve this.
Irrespective of the fact whether you are a business owner or an employee it is important to both provide and work in an environment that not only caters to basic health and safety guidelines (as outlined by OSH -Occupational health and safety, in New Zealand) but also ensures that your surroundings are soothing and mentally stimulating in a positive way.
Do not compromise with the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of the office/ workplace. Junk, chaos, dirt, untidiness, improper ventilation, poor lighting including glare and darkness, uncomfortable seating /desks, poorly regulated indoor temperatures of air conditioning, unwarranted noise from machines etc. all contribute towards ill health, stress, tiredness, low productivity and sickness. This in turn may impact your business profits or work results if you are answerable to a superior. It may even leave you with unnecessary expenditure that you need to invest subsequently, in to mitigate the effects of the above stated factors. Thus, a sensitively designed or organized workplace that includes consideration of proper lighting, thermally comfortable and regulated working environment is a must.
It is imperative that people who provide profit to your business are well looked after. Good work ethics will never include getting the maximum out of the workforce by providing minimum or basic facilities but to genuinely care for the well being of the employees so that they feel valued and enjoy working hard for your business. This way, they wouldn’t mind sometimes staying a bit longer at work than required and even bending over backwards for you, if need be.
In order for this to happen, along with the work culture, the work places too need to be inviting, fresh, healthy and safe areas.
Here are a few recommendations based on which one can adopt easy, effective and permanent eco friendly measures at work.
First and foremost, no matter what the nature of business is, adopt a work ethic regarding green policies. It could translate into either physically having greenery at your work place, to recycling policies, donating to charitable causes dealing with conservation/ wildlife or simply supporting businesses that directly engage in such activities. Go green in some small or big way.
Make sure that people you hire or work with such as associates and business partners, consultants, suppliers etc relate, respect and respond to this as well. Doing business with like minded people builds a degree of warmth and provides a boost to the cause. Try networking with the sustainable business network of New Zealand. http://www.sustainable.org.nz/
If you work for someone and find yourself as the odd one out recycling and saving water and turning off unnecessary lighting then do not be discouraged. You are at least doing your bit and who knows how many people you are secretly inspiring. Chances are that you will be respected for being the one who dares to be different and a trendsetter.
Adjust the thermostat of the air conditioner to 21degC, which is the optimum temperature to work in when the office is occupied. Do not lower the temperature by more than 2-3deg as the thermostat has to work harder and use more energy to adjust to the swings.
Again, Rethink before Recycle: print emails and other stuff only when absolutely necessary in order to save paper. Just because we can afford it does not mean that we have to use it. Also try printing on both sides of the paper ad encourage everyone to keep a tab on their prints and photocopying by maintaining a log book after every use. Recording the usage invokes individual responsibility.
Small changes make a big difference – Make sure that you recycle paper, cardboard etc on a daily basis. Encourage staff to keep cardboard boxes under their work stations so that waste paper can be sorted out once a week. That saves the trip to the big bin every time.
Generally speaking, never compromise on the quality of HVAC systems at work. HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
Make wise energy saving choices when buying air conditioning/ heating, lighting and other electrical appliances for work such as ones with high energy star ratings. Same holds true for photocopiers, printers and kitchen appliances. Get the photocopiers and printers serviced on a regular basis.
Installing hot waters dispensers (fixed type) could be a better option for bigger staffed offices. They do waste some electricity in keeping water at boiling temperatures at all times but could be better option than each staff member individually boiling the kettle for a cup of tea every time.
Task lighting is critical in desk jobs and if the desks cannot be aligned to utilize and natural light from the windows then make sure the bulbs are energy efficient compact fluorescents – CFLs. They use 75 per cent less energy than standard incandescent light bulbs while delivering the same light out.
Switch off all major light points after hours. Place energy efficient light bulbs at the entrance/ lobbies, stairwells etc that you do decide to leave on during night time for cleaners, security etc. Motion sensor or automatic cut -off lights can also be used in these areas after hours.
Switch off computers during long lunch breaks or at least turn off the monitor where the standing period is likely to exceed 20 min or more. Use flat screen panels instead of CRT monitors as the latter consume much more energy to display on screen.
Encourage rubbish disposal in the staff kitchen areas by having separate bins for plastic and organic rubbish (food scraps, used tea bags, coffee filters etc).
Leaky taps should be immediately replaced. Install low-flow faucet aerators in order to reduce the water discharge from the taps.
Minimize or totally zero down usage of plastic cups, folks and knives. Standard cutlery can be washed and reused. Even incase of get-together, Christmas functions etc ensure that plastic is used to the minimum.
Encourage staff to take public transport, carpools, walking and cycling instead of using the car. It may mean a little more lax attitude towards arrival and departure time as long as the total numbers of hours are clocked in. It may also mean catering for showers/ change areas, lockers etc at work place.
Our increased dependence on the machines and computers has wreaked havoc on our eyesight and posture.
Whether your workplace is big or small, ensure that it has some indoor plants and some green views for the staff so that they are encouraged to look at something soothing and away from the flickering monitors every now and then.
These can be low maintenance variety either potted or planted in a mini courtyard. Plants can also be placed in break out areas, outdoor seating areas, lunch rooms or lobbies.
You can either organize regular outdoor, nature related recreational activities for your staff or suggest them at your workplace. Activities such as bush walking, nature trails, kayaking, cycling and running not only strengthen the bond of co workers but suggest the importance of keeping fit and healthy and also reinforce bonding with nature. Such activities could become a regular feature in an office annual calendar and they do not cost a lot.
Engage a eco expert and get a work audit done to identify the possible areas of improvement and employ wise strategies. Auditors do a complete and thorough assessment of the workplace and list down the ways to adopt a greener approach to existing ways that are not only healthier but also save money.
Provide incentives to people at work for suggesting any green measures or eco friendly tips that can be adopted and measures to introduce and follow them.
Green offices are about well being, improving productivity and profits in ways that do not compromise with the health of its people or the environment. Workplaces offer tremendous opportunities to begin to play an active role in taking care of the planet by adopting eco friendly measures.
Begin by examining your immediate environment and see how you can discard unhealthy practices and gradually replace them with greener options and why not, workplaces after all, are an extension of our homes.
- Nidhi Nautiyal is an Eco consultant and Green designer at eco-logicaliving ltd®, Auckland, New Zealand ©