NEWS: Fellowes Share Results of Clean Air Survey

As reported by Facility Executive, Fellowes announced the results of its third annual 2024 Annual International Day of Clean Air Survey

This year’s comprehensive survey canvassed 1,994 adults across the U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Italy, and Germany who work indoors at least one full day per week. The survey’s findings reveal a stark contrast between real-time perceptions and expectations of IAQ, underscoring the critical need for continued focus on workplace indoor air quality (IAQ). Here are some key takeaways from this year’s survey and some trend comparisons to previous years:

• Global perception of clean air: Only 35% of all respondents across the surveyed countries described the IAQ at their workplace as “very clean.” Even in the U.S., where this sentiment was the highest at 52%, a large swath of the respondents still did not find the IAQ to be up to their standards in the workplace.
• Demand for air purification: Among respondents who did not rate their workplace air as “very clean,” the majority indicated that providing air purification units would increase their confidence in workplace air quality. This sentiment was strongest in Italy (72%) and the U.K. (67%), followed closely by Germany (67%) and the U.S. (60%).
• Confidence-boosting measures in the U.S.: A majority of U.S. respondents who felt their workplace air was “very clean” attributed this primarily to access to real-time IAQ data and status (71%), building certifications like LEED, Fitwel, and WELL (57%), and lastly, visible air purification units (57%).
• Impact on performance: A resounding 90% of all respondents affirmed that clean indoor air is essential for performing their best work. Specifically, 90% of U.S. respondents agreed, up from 87% last year. Additionally, this belief was particularly strong among Canadian respondents, with 93% asserting the importance of clean air on their ability to deliver their best performance at work.
• Universal right to clean air: An overwhelming 92% of all respondents agreed that clean indoor air should be a right for all employees. This view was most prevalent among Canadian workers, with 94% supporting this notion, up from 91% in the previous year.
• Employee retention concerns in the U.S.: Alarmingly, 64% of U.S. workers indicated they would consider leaving their current employer due to poor IAQ, nearly doubling the 34% from last year. About one-third of respondents from other countries would also consider leaving their employer due to poor IAQ, a concerningly large percentage for employers.
• Hybrid workers’ preferences: In the U.S., 67% of hybrid workers stated that seeing increased evidence of air quality considerations, such as visible purification units, access to IAQ data, and healthy building certifications, would make them more likely to work in-office more frequently.
• Importance of IAQ transparency: 82% of all respondents expressed that it is important for employers to share information about the quality of air in the workplace. This sentiment was strongest among Canadian workers (87%), followed closely by those in the U.S. (84%).
• Workplace priorities: 36% of U.S. and Canadian respondents ranked a clean indoor workspace, including IAQ, as the most important factor when choosing a new job. This preference surpassed other popular perks, such as health allowances and stipends (25%) and free coffee and snacks (12%).

The survey data indicates that demonstrating a commitment to IAQ through visible purification units, real-time IAQ data and status, and building certifications like LEED, Fitwel, and WELL is the best way to assure workers that their air is healthy. With the average person spending 90% of their time indoors and an ever-increasing awareness of the impact of IAQ on personal health, productivity, and overall well-being, the importance of clean indoor air cannot be overstated.