Have you ever walked into a meeting room and instantly regretted it? The air feels heavy, there’s no fresh breeze, and within minutes, people are rubbing their temples like they’ve got a migraine brewing.
Then by mid-afternoon, energy levels are on the floor, half the office is yawning, and concentration has left the building. But isn’t it just a slow day at work then? Well, the problem isn’t the workload, it’s bad air quality. Now, it’s a no-brainer to be sustainable, but there’s a lot of aspects to it, and yeah, air quality is technically one of them.
Indoor air quality is one of those things that no one notices until it’s a problem. When it’s good, people feel energised, focused, and productive. When it’s bad, employees struggle through the day, take more sick leave, and find themselves daydreaming about working from home just to escape the stale air.
Poor Air Quality Means Employees Running on Low Battery
People perform better when they can actually breathe properly. Okay, but isn’t that obvious enough? Well, bad air doesn’t just cause the occasional headache, it wrecks productivity. If an office feels stuffy or full of invisible pollutants, people can’t concentrate, get sluggish faster, and make more mistakes.
It’s not just a theory, either. Actually, there are plenty of studies that have shown that when air circulation improves, work output goes up, mistakes go down, and employees feel more engaged. It’s simple: more oxygen equals better brain function. Yet, so many workplaces still force their teams to sit in sealed-up offices with stale air, wondering why everyone looks half-asleep by 3 PM.
There’s the Invisible Office Pollutants Nobody Thinks About
Just because an office looks clean doesn’t mean the air is. In fact, most of the worst air pollutants can’t even be seen. Employees could be breathing in all sorts of unwanted extras, from chemicals in office furniture to dust mites and mould spores. It’s pretty terrifying, right?
Well, it’s common, not every building is 100% clean and pure. For example, new office furniture, carpets, and cleaning products often release volatile organic compounds (most people know this as VOCs), which is a fancy way of saying stuff that makes your head hurt. Then there’s carbon dioxide buildup, which happens when people are crammed into a space with bad ventilation (not to be confused with carbon monoxide).
If an office ever feels like it’s slowly draining the life out of people, it’s probably because they’re breathing in too much CO2 and not enough fresh air. That’s usually why there’s this compelling feeling to open a window.
So carbon monoxide was mentioned earlier, but something else to be wary about would be radon. It’s a colourless, odourless gas that comes from the ground. If a workplace is in an area with high radon levels, exposure over time increases the risk of lung cancer. It’s not to scare you, but when it comes to air quality, so many businesses and offices just don’t know about this, and they need to.
That’s why businesses need to check radon levels just like they check fire safety or building maintenance. Actually looking at the Radon Map is a great starting point to see if an office is in a high-risk area.
Sick Building Syndrome is a Thing
Have you ever heard someone say, “I feel fine at home, but the second I get to work, I feel awful”? Okay, maybe not those exact words, but you’ve probably heard something similar before, right? Well, that’s Sick Building Syndrome in action.
It happens when an office is so poorly ventilated and full of air pollutants that people actually feel sick just being inside. Actually, some of the symptoms include headaches, dizziness, dry eyes, and general exhaustion. And guess what? Most employees don’t realise it’s the building causing it, they just think they’re run-down.
If half the office always feels tired, sniffly, or has a mystery headache, it’s time to stop blaming the coffee machine and start looking at the air quality.
But How Can You Fix Office Air Quality?
Thankfully, improving air quality doesn’t require a full-scale renovation. Instead, small changes can make a massive difference in how people feel throughout the workday. Even if you just rent the building, there are a few commercial renter-friendly things you can do to help the air quality.
Airflow Matters More than Fancy Office Chairs
For starters, good ventilation is everything. If a workspace doesn’t have proper airflow, all the pollutants just sit there, making the air heavier and harder to breathe. Opening windows is the easiest fix, but not every office has that luxury. That’s where air filtration systems come in. As you probably already know, these don’t just move air around, but they actually clean it, reducing pollutants and making a stuffy office feel fresh again.
Plants Actually Work
Plants do more than just make an office look trendy, actually, they clean the air too. Some plants even suck up toxins, acting like mini air filters. Sure, it might sound like a generic gimmick, but surprisingly, it’s actually not! Actually just a few peace lilies and snake plants can get the job done.
Plants are pretty, they reduce pollutants and boost oxygen levels, which means fewer dry eyes, fewer headaches, and a workplace that doesn’t feel like a vacuum-sealed container. Besides, who doesn’t like plants?
Clean Air Equals to Employees Sticking Around
You need to keep in mind that a company could offer great pay, top benefits, and a coffee machine that makes oat milk lattes, but if employees leave work every day with headaches, fatigue, or a scratchy throat, they won’t stick around. In their position, would you? Bad air makes people less engaged, more sluggish, and more likely to take sick days. If employees feel fine at home but exhausted the moment they step into the office, they’ll start looking for a way out—no matter how much they like the job.
But on the other hand, clean, well-circulated air keeps employees feeling sharp, comfortable, and focused. So, when businesses prioritise air quality, they create a workplace that people actually enjoy being in, one where they’re more productive, less drained, and far more likely to stay