Hands using a laptop on a desk with a green plant next to the laptop

Productivity

Is green the colour of productivity?

Reading time:  2 Minutes

Regus centres aren’t the only workplaces to have caught the greenery bug – but their benefits are more than aesthetic. Here are the reasons why every office should give in to office foliage

 

Plants are having a moment. It seems that there isn’t a café, restaurant, hairdressers or even cinema lobby that hasn’t installed a flash of flora or a crowd of cacti. IWG centres are by no means immune – if you have visited one, you’ll have noticed that we don’t shy away from greenery.

But office plants don’t just look good – having plants in the office can also have a genuine positive impact on people’s health and employees’ productivity.

 

The green machine

First things first – the statistics. A recent Harvard study shows that there are definite benefits to people who work in greener spaces. Workers get a 26% boost in cognition when they share their workplace with plants, as well as a 6% rise in the quality of their sleep.

This rise in employee satisfaction, as always, comes back to the employer with similar benefits. The report showed 30% fewer sickness-related absences from plant-friendly workplaces.

Size doesn’t matter – you can kick off the boosted productivity and health benefits with even a small cactus or desktop bonsai here and there. Research by the University of Exeter found that productivity ramps up 15% when the office is filled with even a few house plants.

 

Green fingers

To keep your greens alive and healthy, it’s crucial to place your plants in the right spot – and there’s no catch-all. If your desk is near a window you have your pick of the plants. Do some research on how much warmth, water and sunlight your plants will need. If you’re not near direct sunlight, it’s best stick to a plant with larger, darker leaves, like a pothos or a “peace lily.”

Pothos are in fact the absolute superstars of indoor plant growing. They, as well as ferns and dracaenas, collectively known as foliage plants, are also very long lasting. That’ll save you having to pop back out or bring any more greenery in on your commute.

An indoor plant on a desk

 

Trees for the planet

Another reason that greenery feels so at home in Regus centres is that their oxygen-producing capabilities reflect our own carbon-offsetting progress. The carbon emissions saved by companies implementing flexible working by using our locations are no small deal – 214 million tonnes of CO2 could be saved annually by 2030. That’s the equivalent of planting 5.5 billion trees over ten years.

We don’t expect you to rustle up that kind of greenery in your space, but a few leaves here and there can have a significant impact on the environment, on productivity, and on the wellbeing of every employee or guest that walks through the front door.

 

Take a look at some of our centres near you