The 2015 Human Spaces report5, which studied 7,600 office workers in 16 countries, found that nearly two-thirds (58%) of workers have no live plants in their workspaces. Those whose environments incorporated natural elements reported a 15%
higher wellbeing score and a 6% higher productivity score than employees whose offices didn’t include such elements.
Some experts argue that adding plants to the work environment can help to reduce the risk of sick building syndrome.
A small study by the Agricultural University of Norway in the 1990s found that the introduction of plants to one office was linked to a 25%
decrease in symptoms of ill health, including fatigue, concentration problems, dry skin and irritation of the nose and eyes.
The presence of plants can probably result in a positive change in the psychosocial working environment. The resultant feeling of wellbeing also affects how the individual assesses his/her state of health. Against the background of the psychobiological identity and mankind’s positive reaction to nature its easy to assume that plants have a particular effect on the sense of well-being. This is evidenced by the fact that the occurrence of symptoms linked to the indoor atmosphere was reduced.
