Honeywell Survey: 96% of Middle East Office Workers Want to Be Informed of their Building’s Air Quality

A survey of office workers in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Egypt) conducted by Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) has revealed almost all respondents (96%) believe it is important for their employer or building manager to keep them informed of their office’s indoor air quality (IAQ). Honeywell’s “Workplace Air Quality: A Global Concern Emerges” presents the findings of the company’s second annual Healthy Buildings Survey, which recently queried 3,000 workers in buildings with 500-plus workers in ASEAN, Germany, India, the Middle East, the United Kingdom and the United States.

More than 70% of office-based workers surveyed in the Middle East have access to information about their building’s IAQ – significantly higher than the global average of 53%.

Yet, Honeywell’s research suggests that the information made available to employees about IAQ is limited. Only two in five (40%) of those surveyed in the Middle East say they know a lot about their building’s IAQ. More than nine in 10 respondents (93%) are worried about their building’s IAQ, and 70% say they are willing to leave their job if their employer doesn’t take steps to create a healthier indoor environment.

A substantial majority (85%) of respondents in the Middle East believe the quality of air they breathe has a direct impact on their health and well-being. The top health benefits of safe IAQ they mention include:

• Better overall physical health (55%)
• Fewer allergic responses, resulting in less sneezing and coughing (51%)
• Exposure to fewer airborne contaminants (48%)
• Better overall mental health (45%)
• Improved productivity and problem-solving (37%)

Additional findings of note include:

• With the rise of new COVID-19 variants, an overwhelming majority (89%) of those surveyed in the Middle East say they are more concerned about IAQ than they were before.
• Three-quarters of respondents in the Middle East (75%) feel that indoor air is less healthy to breathe than outdoor air.

“Office workers in the Middle East have a better understanding of air quality compared with the global average, but our research shows they remain highly concerned about IAQ levels within their buildings,” said Fahmi Jabri, general manager of building management systems, Honeywell Building Technologies, Middle East, Turkey and Africa. “With the rising importance of well-being in the workplace, demonstrating an effort to create a healthier building environment is an advantage in attracting and retaining employees. Every investment made in upgrading workplace air quality, monitoring IAQ data and communicating it to employees will pay off strategically.”

Honeywell’s Healthy Buildings solutions integrate air quality, safety and security technologies with advanced analytics to help building owners improve the health of their buildings, operate more cleanly, comply with new guidelines, and help reassure occupants. Honeywell’s advanced IAQ portfolio can help improve occupant well-being, meet energy efficiency goals, and importantly, change the way occupants experience a building.

Methodology

The Honeywell Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 3,000 workers in buildings of 500-plus workers in six markets – ASEAN, Germany, India, the Middle East, the United Kingdom and the United States – between December 17, 2021, and January 11, 2022, using an email invitation and an online form.

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 4.4 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.