Sometimes, as her working day comes to an end, Julia Sakas watches a beautiful sunset fall behind the skyscrapers of downtown Toronto. The LEED-certified offices at the Ontario Realty Corp. are lined with windows – a bright change from the old location at Queen’s Park, where 120 executive workspaces along the walls kept the light out.
The 20th floor of ORC’s new offices at One Dundas Street West is awash with natural light and otherwise lit by smart motion-sensor lights. It’s heated and cooled with clean energy systems. These features make a big statement that the company is committed to sustainability.
But it isn’t just a statement, says Ms. Sakas: The building has affected her working life, too. “It feels so nice to be in here,” she says, looking around the vast open space with frosted glass and wood trim around the boardrooms. She feels more productive at work, she says – at ease and happy.
Companies have been scrambling to build state-of-the-art green buildings in recent years for myriad reasons, including the assertion of a culture of corporate social responsibility. Employees recently moved into the new, sustainable Telus Tower in Toronto, and the telecommunications company just opened a green workplace in Quebec City. Toronto’s RBC Dexia, which is completing the last phase of its move-in this fall, is considered one of the greenest major corporate buildings in Canada.
Such moves are great positioning for companies who are trying to prove to investors, stakeholders and even the general public that they have the environment – and the future – in mind.
But what does a green workplace mean to employees themselves? Do they view it in the same light as their retirement savings plans and benefits? Are they more engaged? Does a green building help with employee recruitment and retention?
Very little substantial research has emerged to prove green buildings are positively influencing employees. Since the proliferation of green buildings is a new phenomenon on the corporate landscape, such studies would have only preliminary data. And those that have emerged rely on self-reporting – considered in the scientific community to only scrape the surface – and were funded by companies that have a vested interest.
That said, anecdotal evidence is plenty, and companies are keen to share their success stories, and less happy to share insights on failures, says Stephanie Bertels, an assistant professor of technology and operations management at B.C.’s Simon Fraser University school of business. She’s about to release a report that analyzed more than 13,000 pieces of literature about the introduction of sustainability to corporate culture.
In addition to potential benefits such as liking where they worked better, being in a healthier environment and having more access to daylight, there’s the signalling value of an organization committing to leasing or building green, she says. Having a LEED-certified building is an iconic symbol, Prof. Bertels says. “And it sets the tone so literally everybody who walks through the door has a sense that something is going on there.”
Some case studies have suggested that green workplaces, by virtue of being healthier and more attractive environments, increase productivity. But they don’t come to any firm conclusions, Prof. Bertel cautions.
According to self-reports gleaned from Hewitt's 2010 Best Employers in Canada study, 91 per cent of employers say the environment is one of their top drivers of social corporate responsibility.
Employees feel real pride in working in green buildings, says Andrea Baldwin, director of advisory services at Canadian Business for Social Responsibility, a not-for-profit that helped research and analyze data for the survey. “When you’re chatting with them, that’s often [what] they’re talking about.”
