Office workers want bosses to do more to improve their air quality

Nearly two thirds (64%) of workers would find a potential employer attractive if they had an air pollution policy in place, according to research by Hubbub.

The Research undertaken for the #AirWeShare in partnership with Kings College London has revealed that while professional drivers and outdoor workers are among the most exposed professions, office employees can also be exposed to high levels of pollution, if they’re commuting into busy urban areas and travelling to and from work meetings.

When asked what their own boss could do to help them reduce their exposure to air pollution, the most popular ideas were: installing air purifiers in the workplace (47%), allowing flexible working or home working (42%) and cash incentives to encourage people to cycle, walk or take public transport to work instead of driving (40%). One in five workers would consider grouping online shopping deliveries with colleagues to avoid lots of polluting vans delivering individual parcels to their office. 

Together with the #AirWeShare campaign, Hubbub is calling on all employers to check, update – or even develop from scratch – their policy on air pollution to protect the health and wellbeing of their staff. As well as reducing exposure, policies should look at how businesses can reduce their own contribution to air pollution across their operations.