The effect that work environments have on productivity and employee satisfaction has become a hot topic in the corporate world as research continually becomes more available. More people have become aware of how Indoor air quality (IAQ) affects employees’ health, comfort and ability to focus.

If you need to convince your boss, office manager or HR department to invest in improved IAQ, you have to prove the investment pays off in the long run. Here are five reasons why excellent IAQ has strong ROI. It can:

1. Improve recruiting efforts
   The health and cleanliness of your workplace will immediately make an impression on potential hires. Indoor air quality directly contributes to facility perception, especially in common areas such as bathrooms and breakrooms.
2. Bolster productivity
   Research shows that improved IAQ benefits productivity almost instantly. In fact, a group of creative marketers, architects, engineers, designers and programmers performed 61 percent better on cognitive assessments in work environments with optimal IAQ. Over time, this level of increased efficiency dramatically improves the bottom line.
3. Create a healthier, more positive work environment
   A healthy and clean office can impress office visitors such as clients and recruits and will give employees a feeling of comfort and security. Since employees spend hours each day in shared spaces, distractions such as odors, dust and allergens have a major impact on their feelings of workplace satisfaction.
4. Reduce sick days
   Though it may come as a surprise, the flu virus is most commonly distributed through the air. Improving IAQ with targeted air purification allows organizations to remove 99.9 percent of contagious, airborne flu virus from common areas. Everyone knows how quickly an illness can travel around the office, so clean air is integral to a comprehensive wellness strategy.
5. Eliminate odors
   Don’t let odors drive workplace complaints. Improving IAQ prevents odors from lingering in an environment for extended periods of time and adds to worker comfort and satisfaction.

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Fostering a culture of health in the workplace Don’t Forget IAQ in Cleaning Programs Harvard Research into Indoor Air Quality and Workplace Productivity How do air purifiers work?