Room with a view: the basic, often overlooked solution to promote staff well-being

By Emmy van Esch*

Analysis – Four years after the pandemic forced workers to stay home, businesses in New Zealand and beyond are bringing staff back to the office.

But office workers aren’t necessarily thrilled at the prospect. Recent research has shown that returning to the office can have a negative impact on staff wellbeing. In particular, it can make many employees more stressed.

This is in addition to the decline in wellbeing that many have experienced since the Covid-19 pandemic due to social distancing, isolation, daily uncertainty and fear. As a result, there is an increase in the number of people suffering from stress, anxiety, frustration, isolation and depression.

So how can organisations bring their employees back to the office while taking into account their wellbeing?

Sight trumps flash benefits

Yoga classes? On-site gym? Childcare? When it comes to employee wellness, flashy perks seem less appealing to workers than a more basic but often overlooked benefit: a window with a nice view.

In a survey of 1,614 North American office workers, more than half said a view of the outdoors was the number one perk they wanted. And 78% said it improved their happiness and well-being.

Survey participants placed more importance on office views than other perks such as fitness facilities and cafeterias, or benefits such as on-site child care.

But what makes employees so attractive about the view from office windows? Is it the overall view? Or are there special features in the view?

Focus on features

Many people think that natural views from windows (trees, grass) are good for workers and that urban views from windows (buildings, streets) are bad. But that’s not what we found.

Our team analyzed office window views of hundreds of employees in the United States who spend most of the workday indoors.

We found that even a small amount of outdoor exposure to the view of an office window can explain why a worker feels – or doesn’t feel – good at work.

But at the same time, the study showed that some, but not all, natural views are beneficial for us. The same goes for urban views. Some urban views are beneficial for workers, others are not.

What matters most for an employee’s psychological, physical, and professional well-being are the specific characteristics of the view from their office window. Our research found that the two characteristics of the view most likely to improve well-being are what we called “mystery” and “coherence.”

Mysterious views (think of a mountain range or a city in the distance) hide information and entice people to explore more. Coherent views (think of a savannah or skyscrapers) appear symmetrical and organized, which helps people understand the environment.

The two worst features for our well-being are “refuge” and “complexity.” Refuge views (think dense bushes or narrow, dark alleys) are excellent hiding places for predators, which people prefer to avoid. Complex views (think a tangled forest or crowded urban areas) offer many shapes and textures, which can be overwhelming.

A passive way to improve well-being

Our research shows that improving the view from office windows is an effective intervention to improve employee well-being. Many popular employee benefits require training (mindfulness), a designated time or location (fitness programs and on-site gym), or motivation to engage in the activity (showing up for these activities).

But the views from the windows are passive, they do not require any effort from the employees and operate more or less continuously.

The pandemic has brought home the importance of access to the outdoors. We often feel better when we are exposed to the outside environment. Our findings could help organizations “build back better” when offices reopen.

More and more companies are already redesigning their workspaces to give employees more access to the outdoors. And one simple way to do this is to install windows in offices. Many companies now have floor-to-ceiling windows throughout the building.

It’s clear that businesses and their employees need to take a closer look at the view they have from their windows. The features beyond the glass can explain why employees feel good or bad at work.

* Lecturer in International Business and Management, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

– This story was originally published by The conversation.