With workers having been sent home during the pandemic, companies are having a hard time bringing them back. During the mandatory lockdowns, people sought refuge in nature. Some tended to house plants, some set up bird feeders, while others set up outdoor offices. Interestingly, these observations have become a key tactic in bringing workers back to the office. Check out our blog that goes over how offices are using plants to entice employees back to the workplace!
How Business Owners Can Use Plants to Entice Employees Back to the Workplace
As companies try to coax skittish employees back into the office, many hit upon the importance of making the office setting a more pleasant place. How are they achieving this? With the help of plants! By creating a refreshing, natural environment, people are more drawn to the ambiance of the office. This effort seeks to give employees access to fresh air, sunlight, and plants. This is in tune with the concept of biophilia, which states that humans have an innate connection to nature. Besides making people feel relaxed and happy, they also help promote health and wellness.
The Benefits of Plants in the Office
Studies have shown how biophilic spaces are associated with increased cognition, enhanced productivity, lower stress levels, fewer sick days, and less staff turnover. They’re an economic solution for the increasing number of employees that want to remain at home. The use of plants in the office has been a popular concept since before COVID-19 started. However, today it has transformed from “something that is nice to have,” to “a major risk if you don’t have.”
Plants can help lighten up the ambiance of any office. If you’re working in a dark, lifeless space, you’re not going to be really motivated about going to work every day. Besides making the building a more appealing place to be, plants also offer employees many other benefits, such as:
Health Benefits
Plants naturally filter toxins from rooms and help freshen up the air. Offices with poor ventilation are at greater risk of “sick building syndrome.” Symptoms of this include headaches, difficulty concentrating, nausea, and flu-like symptoms. Plants can help relieve offices of this issue, thus reducing the number of sick days and enhancing productive capacity!
Increased Productivity
Did you know that plain, colorless offices with zero decoration are considered the “most toxic spaces” for human beings? In fact, studies show that workers are 15% more productive when there are houseplants and decor around! Why? Because employees that engage with their surroundings are more likely to achieve greater output and have an easier time remaining focused.
Boost Creativity
Creative blocks are not a joke! Burnt-out office workers can easily get stuck or run out of ideas. Office plants can provide inspiration! Their bright colors and vibrant smells have a positive impact on people’s creativity.
Popular Ways Plants Are Being Integrated into Offices
With companies finding success with the incorporation of plants in their office spaces, plants are now becoming an integral element! Here are the most popular ways you can transform your office into a natural world.
Living Walls
Living walls are gorgeous collections of plants that are alive and rooted into an engineered framework system. This structure is often securely installed into a vertical space and contains its own irrigation and drainage. The selection of plants can vary from succulents and cacti, to tropical flowers and ferns, depending on the surrounding elements.
Moss Walls
This type of art integrates preserved moss to create a vibrant and texturally interesting twist on live walls. It is a conversation piece that brings the beauty of nature indoors in a clean and cultured manner. They’re also a nearly maintenance-free way of “greening” up office spaces.
Indoor Plants
You don’t have to be too extravagant to give your office space a nice touch of green. Simply adding indoor plants throughout the entire office is enough to brighten up the space! Examples of great plants for this purpose include:
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- Chinese Evergreen
- Aspidistra
- Bamboo Palms
- Peace Lilies
- Pothos
- Snake Plants
- Ficus Lyrata
- Kentia Palms
Offices featuring well-designed biophilic elements with ample access to natural light and fresh air spaces are becoming the best way to bring remote-work-loving employees back to the office. We hope this blog helps you see how business owners can use plants to entice workers back to their offices. If you’re ready to implement this strategy and go green, give Greenleaf IPS a call at (858)-488-0611 or click here for a free quote!
