Plants effective in decreasing tiredness
Hoofddorp, March 2009 – New research findings from TNO Quality of Life provide more insight into the positive effects of having plants in the workplace.
The fact
that everyone who sits at a computer longer than four hours works more
productively and clearly more enjoyably with plants nearby has been known
for some time.
‘Even one large plant for every two employees or one large plant for every
12 mē provides a beneficial effect!’ says John Klein Hesselink, senior
researcher at TNO.
Less fatigued and less stressed
Having
plants in the workplace is especially beneficial for fatigued employees and
those with health problems. The positive effects of plants on the health
and well-being of employees are due mainly to the recuperative potential
that plants provide. Plants in a work environment reintroduce the feeling
of the natural environment in which human beings evolved, which is why
people feel most at home in green surroundings. Because plants have a
positive effect on psychological well-being, people recover more quickly
from tiredness and stress.
Productivity
In the
study, full-time employees, in particular, noted a reduction in their
flu-like symptoms and felt more able to work with the plants installed,
showing that the period of time in which people have plants within their
range of vision is an important factor. It was also found that employees
are more productive when they can see green plants whenever they look up.
Recommendation
Based on
this research, TNO recommends providing one large plant for every two
employees or one large plant for every 12 mē of office space. It’s also
important to distribute the plants evenly throughout the entire organisation
so that all employees can benefit from them as doing so decreases health
problems and complaints of tiredness, particularly among employees who are
fatigued and suffering from stress.
More information: see www.healthygreenatwork.org