The hidden impact of workplace design on employee wellbeing 

The built environments people work in are often treated as a backdrop. Something fixed, functional and secondary to culture, leadership and strategy. But growing evidence suggests  physical workplaces play a far more direct role in shaping employee health, focus and performance than many organisations realise. 

From noise and lighting to temperature and layout, sensory factors influence how people think, feel and function throughout the working day. And while workplace wellbeing strategies often focus on what employees bring into work, such as stress levels or mental health history, far less attention is paid to what the workplace itself is doing to them. 

“Sensory factors in every environment affect us, usually before we even notice,” says Helen Jaggar, Wellbeing Strategy Advisor and founder of thriveology, and WELL Accredited. “If I walk into a poorly lit, noisy, thermally uncomfortable space, my body responds before my brain catches up. This is not unique to me, it’s a biological response through my senses and it happens to all of us.” 

This response is not limited to individuals already struggling with their mental health. It is universal. Noise can trigger stress responses, poor lighting can disrupt circadian rhythms and affect sleep, and uncomfortable temperatures can reduce concentration. These factors are often dismissed as minor inconveniences, but their impact is cumulative and constant. 

“We spend a lot of time in workplace wellbeing conversations talking about what people bring through the door,” Jaggar adds. “However, we rarely explore what the physical building they work in is doing to them.” 

The evidence linking workplace environments to health and performance is now well established. Research from Harvard has found that improved ventilation is associated with significantly higher cognitive function scores among office workers.
 

Studies on open-plan offices consistently show that uncontrolled noise increases cortisol levels and reduces working memory, Meanwhile, poor lighting can interfere with sleep patterns, which in turn affects next-day focus and productivity.

“These are not minor effects,” Jaggar says. “They can have considerable impact.” 

Crucially, these factors rarely operate in isolation. A noisy workspace, artificial lighting and uncomfortable temperatures combine over the course of the day, creating cognitive overload that employees may internalise as a personal performance issue. 

“What feels to an individual like an inability to concentrate or think clearly is often the environment working against them,” Jaggar explains. 

Despite this, many organisations continue to treat the physical workplace as a facilities issue rather than a core component of workplace health and wellbeing. Data on absence, engagement and turnover is widely collected but rarely connected to environmental conditions. 

Hybrid working has shifted this dynamic. For many employees, it created a direct comparison between environments, highlighting how much control influences performance. 

“When hybrid working started, this was for many of us the first time we were repeatedly in two different environments and could notice the difference,” Jaggar says. “Many found they could think more clearly and work more effectively at home, not because it was better designed, but because they had control.” 

This shift has raised expectations. Employees are no longer comparing one office to another, but the office to an environment where they can control noise, light and interruptions. 

“Levels of control matter as much as the conditions themselves,” Jaggar adds. “An employer who improves air quality but doesn’t give people flexibility hasn’t addressed the whole problem.” 

This is particularly relevant as workforces become more diverse. Today’s employees span multiple generations, each with different expectations, experiences and needs. Designing workplaces that support this diversity is not only a wellbeing priority, but a business one. 

“Today’s workforces span nearly six decades of experience, combining deep institutional knowledge with fresh ideas,” says Chanel Dehond, Global Director of brandx at HLW. “However, there’s a risk in losing this knowledge transfer when workplaces fail to support all employees.” 

Research from McKinsey suggests companies with strong age diversity can outperform competitors by up to 36 per cent.

At the same time, assumptions about who is affected by workplace design are shifting. While digital tools are often seen as a challenge for older workers, younger employees are also experiencing strain. 

“Brandx research shows younger employees report some of the highest levels of digital fatigue,” Dehond says. “In fact, 81 per cent of Gen Z say they wish it were easier to disconnect from devices.” 

This is where the physical workplace becomes critical. The way spaces are designed can either reduce or increase cognitive load, particularly in complex or high-pressure environments. 

“Human navigation instincts haven’t evolved in 50,000 years,” Dehond explains. “The brain still recognises place before information.” 

Over-reliance on digital systems can unintentionally create barriers, particularly for neurodiverse employees or those working under pressure. 

“With around one in four people identifying as neurodiverse, this can impact 25 per cent of a workforce,” she adds. 

For employers, the implication is clear. Workplace design is no longer just about efficiency or aesthetics. It is a core part of how organisations support health, inclusion and performance. 

Practical changes do not always require significant investment. Jaggar recommends starting with a simple, structured walkthrough of the workspace. 

“Do an honest walk around and take note of everything,” she says. 

Engaging employees directly is also key. Many surveys focus on culture and engagement but overlook environmental factors such as acoustics and thermal comfort. 

“If you don’t ask about the physical setting, you won’t know what might be quietly draining people every day,” Jaggar says. 

Small interventions, such as introducing quiet zones, improving lighting or adding acoustic treatments, can have a measurable impact. Longer-term, frameworks such as the WELL Building Standard or Fitwel can help organisations take a more structured approach to workplace health 

The bigger shift, however, is conceptual. Recognising the workplace as an active driver of health, rather than a neutral setting. 

“If the physical and sensory environment can significantly affect mental health and performance, it should be seen as a workplace health risk,” Jaggar says. 

While UK regulations already include guidance on factors such as temperature, ventilation and lighting, these standards were set before the full impact on mental health was understood –

“Adequate and optimal are not the same thing,” she adds. 

For UK employers, the link to workplace health and wellbeing is clear. Environments that reduce cognitive load, support focus and give employees control are not just better places to work, they are more productive, inclusive and resilient. 

Sources 

Allen, J.G. et al. (2016). Associations of Cognitive Function Scores with Carbon Dioxide, Ventilation, and Volatile Organic Compound Exposures in Office Workers. Environmental Health Perspectives. DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1510037 

International WELL Building Institute. WELL Building Standard v2. wellcertified.com 

Leesman Index. The World’s Largest Study into Workplace Effectiveness. leesmanindex.com 

UK Health and Safety Executive. Workplace Health: Management Practices. hse.gov.uk 

CIBSE. Guidance on lighting, acoustics and thermal comfort in UK workplaces. Cibse.org 

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Well Crowd. This content is for information and discussion purposes only and should not be taken as medical, health, or professional advice.