Controlling the Air Around the Workplace

We’re New Englanders. While that may mean a lot of different things to the many of us residing here, for us at Suburban Companies, the main point of focus is on the challenges associated with maintaining a productive working environment for our extensive pool of commercial clients. Having and maintaining an HVAC system in the workplace in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and all throughout New England is a four-season struggle. We want to warm when it’s cold, and cool when it’s hot. And then there’s the humidity. Let’s not get started with the humidity. It’s true, we really do experience the gamut of weather related instances here in the Northeast. The challenge lies in recognizing issues with your HVAC system that adversely effect productivity in and around the office. If you don’t have a trusted partner like us here at Suburban Companies as a part of your auxiliary “operations” team, you’re already a massive step behind.

The long and short of it is, if the health of the environment around the office is suffering, productivity is suffering.

Here are two issues that can directly effect productivity in your workplace:

Indoor Air Quality

Ask yourself: Have your employees been missing work often? Are there a lot of sniffles, coughs, and sneezes around the office? Does the office feel “stuffy”? Does it smell musty? If you answered yes to any of these thoughts, then the quality of the air in your workplace is a likely subpar. And subpar air quality equals subpar productivity, no? Poor indoor air quality can be the result of poor filtration within the HVAC system, lack of routine maintenance, insufficient ventilation, and other applicable issues such as insulation, ductwork, etc.

Poor indoor air quality is not a matter to take lightly. Symptoms amongst the workforce may include:

• Headaches
• Runny noses
• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Full-blown illness.

You know what it’s like to try to get anything accomplished with even the slightest of headaches. Such an ailment will inherently minimize overall productivity. Poor indoor air quality is even worse for those who suffer from conditions like allergies or asthma. Keep this in mind, and, if you’re unsure, we can assess your work environment and shed some light on the situation.

Temperature

This sort of falls in line with the air quality section as it can lend itself to poor health (amongst workers and the business itself). While the temperature of the workplace may not necessarily represent an actual problem with your HVAC system, paying too little attention to the temperature in your office may reduce productivity. It can also add stress to the bottom line if inefficient systems are in place to monitor utility consumption. Fast Company reported that a workplace that is too cold can cause workers to commit around 44 percent more errors than what is found in an ideal temperature range (70 degrees Fahrenheit). In addition, cold temperatures contribute to the adverse reduction their general productivity by about 50 percent.

What we’re getting at here, is the benefit of having a properly operating HVAC system that can be controlled remotely / digitally (LINK TO THERMOSTAT FEATURE) and can also condition the air while providing the idea temperature (and keeping it there). By having routine maintenance on the books, you’re assuring that your system, and hence, environment is at an optimal level, which in turn, increases productivity, and bolsters the bottom line.

For more questions regarding improving HVAC performance, contact Suburban Companies today and Take Comfort.