Are you looking to hire and keep skilled and talented employees? Reducing the environmental footprint of your workplace might be a good first step, according to recent research by Essity.
In a survey of 2,000 workers who have returned to the office at least part-time, 75% say they want their employers to make their workplace more eco-friendly.According to the survey, more than half of employees returning to the office say they became more environmentally conscious while working from home during the pandemic. Also, 58% of those surveyed feel that their workplace is not very eco-friendly.
Making your workplace greener
If you need to green up your office, here are some steps you can take.
- Offer recycling options in your workplace. Set up bins for paper, plastic and cans. Make arrangements for recycling or responsibly disposing of potentially hazardous wastes, such as ink cartridges, lightbulbs and batteries.
- Close the loop by making it a policy to buy office and work supplies that are eco-friendly in their production and packaging or made from recycled materials.
- If you offer breakroom drinks or snacks, include organic and locally sourced options.
- Encourage environmentally friendly transportation options, such as carpools, bikes and municipal transportation. Offer incentives, such as free bus passes, if possible.
- Install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. EV use is growing. Workplace charging would be a great benefit to offer environmentally conscious staff members and potential employees.
- Conserve energy. Simple conservation measures and targeted upgrades can save you money and reduce your impact on the environment. Install occupancy or vacancy sensors to automatically shut off lighting in empty spaces. Plug electronics into advanced power strips, which cut power to unused devices. Implement power management settings on all computers and office equipment.
Green building certification is a great way to publicize your commitment to sustainability to your employees, clients and the community. Consider earning LEED or ENERGY STAR® certification for your facility.
If you have implemented many of these measures and your employees are still not happy with the environmental state of your organization, maybe it’s time to reach out. Communicate your environmental efforts to your staff and ask for their input about how you make things better.
By making your workplace more eco-friendly, you’ll create a happier, healthier and more productive environment for today’s workers.