London - Putting plants in the office makes workers more productive, a study shows. Psychologists found that introducing greenery to spartan workplaces led to a 15 percent rise in output.
Staff concentration and satisfaction increased and they said the air quality had improved. This may be because foliage absorbs pollutants, dust and bugs from the air.
Researchers from Cardiff University monitored two large commercial offices in the UK and Holland. After plants were brought in, overall productivity improved by 15 percent within three months, they report in the Journal of Experimental Psychology.
Lead researcher Marlon Nieuwenhuis said: “Our research suggests that investing in landscaping the office with plants will pay off.
“It directly challenges the widely accepted business philosophy that a lean office with clean desks is more productive.”
Co-author Professor Alex Haslam added: “Sometimes less is just less.” - Daily Mail