Panel Discussion: Wellbeing & IAQ: On-demand

This event has now taken place and is available on demand above. Additionally, we have included links to websites discussed by the panel, poll results from audience questions and access to HumanSpace's recent white-paper. The report and study by panelist Dr Mike O'Neill explores the relationship between personal workspace enclosures and air quality, stress, muscle pain and eye strain. 

Poll results: What is the greatest threat to employee wellbeing as Covid-19 restrictions start to lift?

• Most popular answer: No change - employees are expected to go back to the same spaces as pre-pandemic without having a say on what they need and want.
• Second most popular answer: A 'one size' fits all approach to office design regardless of task and individual preference.

Key links:

• CBRE Healthy Office Quick Scan tool
• Global Research Agenda: Health, Wellbeing and the Built Environment
• WELL Health-Safety Rating Landing Page
• WELL Strategies to Fight COVID-19
• WELL Investing for Health Landing Page
• IWBI Membership Program

Employee wellbeing is a cornerstone for attracting and retaining people, but it’s clear that as businesses start making their way back to the office, many people will return off-balance. 

Many will be wondering what preparations have been put in place to help protect both their physical and mental wellbeing with Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) the most pressing workplace concern according to Tarkett’s Rethinking Workplace research. 

A recent survey by Honeywell Building Technologies supports this, with one in three workers saying that updates to workplace air quality systems are critical.

Within this webinar Tarkett hosted a panel of workplace wellbeing experts from HumanSpace, CBRE Design and the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) to explore how workplace design can help support employee health and wellbeing going forward.

The panel discussed some of the areas that need significant focus and consideration for the longer term with a special focus on indoor air quality, including:

• The greatest threats to employee wellbeing as we return to the office
• How businesses can give employees greater input into office design
• The potential long-term effects of poor IAQ
• What employers can do to tackle and improve IAQ
• How companies can make sure they meet modern wellbeing standards
• How to effectively measure what is and is not working

This webinar was the latest in a series of insights-driven reports and webinars created and hosted by Tarkett. This includes Rethinking the Sustainable Workplace, the Neurodiverse Workplace and the Essential Office 

The discussion was led by:

• Rob Kragt, Tarkett EMEA Communication Manager (Host)

Featuring panelists:

Dr Mike O’Neill, author and founder of HumanSpace

Dr. Mike is an author and strategist who specialises in how to use workplace design to reduce stress and improve workforce performance. He founded HumanSpace to help businesses identify the workplace capabilities that are most important to employee wellbeing using AI including healthy buildings.

Adrienne Harbarger, Design Lead for CBRE Chicago

Adrienne is the Design Lead for CBRE's growing design practice in Chicago and has over 15 years of experience as a certified interior designer. With a focus on workplace interiors, she has provided award winning design solutions for brands including McDonalds, Bank of America, Humana, LinkedIn, Dyson, and Amazon. 

Dr Whitney Austin Gray, Senior Vice President at the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI)

Standing at the nexus of public health research and the places and spaces where we spend our lives, Dr Gray has become one of the leading global voices for improving buildings and communities to help people thrive. She leads research that supports best practices in building design and operations, community development and organizational policies that can contribute to improved public health for everyone, everywhere.