Indoor air quality is on workers’ minds – and will be for ‘years to come’: report

London — Employees – especially younger ones – are concerned about the air quality in their workplace, according to a recently published report from Infogrid.

On behalf of the building technology provider, marketing research company OnePoll surveyed more than 4,000 workers in the United States and the United Kingdom. Respondents worked in an office, health care facility, educational environment or retail building at least one day a week.

Nearly three-quarters of the U.S. respondents said they’re concerned about poor indoor air quality affecting their general health, with 85% of those ages 18-34 indicating they’re “fairly or very concerned.”

Other findings:

• 20% of the U.S. workers said they don’t trust their building’s ventilation systems.
• 29% of the U.S. workers are concerned about contracting COVID-19 or other illnesses because of poor ventilation.

“The pandemic has undoubtedly prompted greater awareness and concerns over air quality in the workplace – and employees are finally speaking up,” Infogrid Senior Vice President Ross Sheil said in a press release. “Our findings not only show that employees are worried about their health, they are calling for their employers and governments to act now. This is just the tip of the iceberg; indoor air quality will be on the agenda for years to come.”