Interior Designer Resources Directory :: Interior Design Article

Designing For Wellness in the Workplace

To define the problem, consider this look at the workplace today. Companies pressured to increase stockholder returns, place demands on their workforce to increase productivity. Employees are frequently asked to perform their job, and that of a laid off co-worker. 80% of workers, when surveyed, say they feel stressed on the job, and nearly half say they need help learning to manage stress. The World Health Organization states that stress has become a worldwide epidemic. In 2002, 75% of visits to primary care providers were for health problems related to stress.

Workers in the United States spend more hours of their average day at work than in any other country. It is not unusual for employees to be evaluated, at least in part, by the numbers of hours they spend at work.

Employers are concerned about issues of cost. In a study conducted by Gallup Poll in 2000, employer's concerns about the health of their workforce included issues of absenteeism, employee retention, and improving productivity. The cost to employers for healthcare for their employees increased more than 13% in 2003, and is projected to increase at least that much in 2004. Workplace alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use costs US companies over $1 billion each year.

In addition, the future workforce in the US is shrinking. Reduced population growth, and the retirement of the baby boomers, will leave an available US workforce only half the size it is today. Thus, employees are a valuable resource today and they will grow more valuable in the future. Companies understand that retaining and recruiting employees will be critical to maintaining their skilled workforce. Companies will entice retirement age workers to remain in the workforce longer. Knowledge workers from other countries will come to the US to fill the void in the workforce. The workforce of the future will be multi-cultural and multi-generational. Diverse age groups and cultures will think differently about the value of work, and how and where they work.

Employees are already making personal choices about the value of work = money vs. the importance of their quality of life. The events of Sept. 11th, and the ongoing presence of war, and terrorism in American lives, have people re-evaluating what's really important to them. Work, and it's ranking as an individual priority, may change significantly. The importance of well-being in both home and work settings is emphasized as people evaluate job opportunities.

These are scary statistics, but the real question is "how can these numbers be changed"?

Consider these questions.

What does the work environment have to do with the well-being of the employees who use that space? Can the design of the workplace change the way employees feel about their work? Can the design of the work environment promote personal comfort, the ability to work productively, and employees' perception about their well-being while at work?

How can future workplace issues be addressed by the design of the work environment? Can the design of the workplace assist companies to compete successfully for a limited supply of employees?

To answer these questions, it's important to have a common definition of wellness. Wellness is a term that is loosely tossed about today. It means different things to different people. Frequently we think of wellness as it is related to physical fitness, or exercise, diet and nutrition. But, wellness experts define wellness as the overall health of an individual. Wellness as being the balance of the body, the mind and the spirit. Dr. Bill Hettler, former Executive Director of the National Wellness Institute, in 1979, defined wellness as having six dimensions. The six dimensions of wellness he identified include: physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, and occupational.

This definition of wellness explains wellness as a balance between these six aspects of life.

The link between the design of the work environment and how it can impact the well-being of the employees working within that space can be related to specific design elements. Some examples of these elements are: lighting, indoor air quality, ergonomics, acoustics, color, texture, space planning, universal design, green design, and the incorporation of art, music, and aroma.

In a study conducted by the American Society of Interior Designers, employees identified four main issues that they value in their workplace. Those issues include comfort, communication, access, and functional efficiency. Comfort issues that must be addressed through interior design planning include temperature control, privacy, the ability to do heads-down concentrating work, and the ability to easily access the team members, and other resources required to work productively.

But, the design of the work environment, may also affect attitude, the ability to learn, happiness and create an individual perception of well-being. And human resource managers indicate that a happier employee at work, makes a happier spouse, parent, or partner at home. Employees feel appreciated and valued which supports company loyalty.

Making believers out of CEOs and CFOs will require proof that the design of the workplace does impact wellness; and that the health and wellness of their employees can positively affect the bottom line. Companies should establish corporate benchmarks, then track areas such as employee job satisfaction, employee recruitment and retention, reduced absenteeism, reduced health care claims and costs, and improved productivity. It is with these measurements that the importance of the design of the work environment will prove valuable in corporate America.

Kathy Ford Montgomery, FASID is a past National President of ASID. She has specialized in healthcare facilities and corporate offices for more than 25 years. She is an adjunct university instructor and owns her own consulting firm, Kathy Montgomery Consulting. Currently completing her master's degree in Environmental Design she is also the Director of Development for education- works, inc. Kathy can be reached at: dkmontgomery4@juno.com