A study has been published which tallies the positive and negative effects of working in an environmentally-conscious office, suggesting there are benefits both to people and the planet.

A survey was conducted by researchers at Bond University covering 351 employee respondents who occupied ten office buildings awarded Green Star ratings, as well as 159 employee respondents occupying eleven non-green office buildings.

The study was undertaken to respond to a lack of feedback from workers in strictly ‘green’ working environments, specifically from the user or employee direction. The survey compared responses to questions about the satisfaction and health levels of the two groups.

The findings were pretty clear – working in a space that is good for the environment is also good for the worker.

Employees in green workplace environments consider themselves happier and healthier than employees in non-green workplace environments.

The large sample of office space users provided solid evidence of what differentiates green workplaces from traditional ones. The study should be a good reference point for the establishment of clearer, more useful benchmarks of green building users’ satisfaction and health.

The findings may also be useful for green building industry members, business managers and health professionals, to deepen the understanding of the environmentally-proactive workplace and its impact on employees.

The study has been published in the ANZ Property Journal.