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Sick Days Taking Time Off

USD survey shows sustainable building pays off for employees' health and productivity.

By Debra Hazel | Updated on November 13, 2009

It’s long been postulated by developers, building managers and sustainability consultants, but now there’s some research to back it up: Employees who work in “green” buildings are more productive than those who work in non-green buildings, says a study by the University of San Diego’s Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate and CB Richard Ellis.

Findings from the report will be presented at a session on Friday morning at Greenbuild 2009, being held in Phoenix. And the study will be the first of many, says Norm G. Miller, a professor and director of academic programs at the University of San Diego, and a co-author of the report. “We will start repeating it every year,” Miller tells GlobeSt.com. “We still have a lot to learn.”

A 2003 study conducted by another institution surveyed just 2003 buildings. Miller and David Pogue, national director of sustainability at CBRE, surveyed 154 green buildings nationwide–defined as LEED-certified at any level or bearing the Energy Star Label– containing over 2,000 tenants, 534 of which participated in the study. Productivity was defined by two criteria: number of sick days and respondents’ reports of productivity changes after moving to a new building.

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