The 'Sick Building' Syndrome: Indoor air quality services and employee productivity

"However, one overlooked impact of return-to-work policies is that they do not account for air quality issues in commercial buildings, The Way Commercial Cleaning notes. This trend, dubbed sick building syndrome, can be detrimental to employees' effectiveness once they get back into the swing of sharing office space. Once understood, it explains why indoor air quality services are increasingly in demand."

"The explosion of remote working in the wake of the 2020 pandemic was impressive. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that in 2019, 11.4% of workers in the information sector were based primarily at home. In 2021, this rose to 44.8%. However, by 2022, there was a sharp decline in remote working, if not a complete reversal. Since then, it has continued to drop at a slow and steady rate."

"Sick building syndrome is one such obstacle. It reflects the fact that while office buildings went unoccupied or under-occupied, they effectively sat stagnant. HVAC systems were not used as intended, and internal air quality declined significantly. It's the equivalent of leaving a vehicle to sit on a driveway for a year and expecting it to fire up the first time. In reality, flat tires, a dead battery, and the potential for rodent infestation in vital mechanical components are all more likely."

Return-to-work initiatives have brought employees back to offices after prolonged under-occupancy. Many commercial buildings sat stagnant, and HVAC systems were unused or underused, leading to degraded internal air quality. Data shows remote work surged during 2020–2021 then declined as offices reopened. Stagnant HVAC systems and neglected maintenance increase risks such as particulate buildup, microbial growth, and mechanical failures. Sick building syndrome can reduce employee productivity and wellbeing when occupancy resumes. Organizations are increasingly seeking indoor air quality services, including HVAC inspection, filtration upgrades, ventilation improvement, and cleaning, to mitigate health risks and support effective returns to office.

Read at Miami Herald