Michael Kanellos 05 04 09, 11:40 AM

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Do Green Buildings Really Lower Sick Days?

The short answer to that question is "yes," says Bruce King, author and structural engineer. (Bruce will also speak at our Green Building Symposium in Menlo Park, Calif. on June 11.)

“It’s documented,” he said.

Tt is tough to trace the lower number of sick days to fewer VOCs or other chemicals in the air, however. Instead, it’s because there is typically more natural light and less air conditioning. In short, they are comfortable, inviting places to work. Conventional buildings indirectly encourage people to work at home more often.

It stands to make sense. Larry Vertal, the senior strategist at AMD and its green chief, told us last year that its LEED Platinum Lone Star campus in Texas has become a recruiting tool.

“It is one of the soft things that many companies don’t understand but it is crucial in the retention and moral of employees,” Vertal said. “It is amazing how the highest talented people will grill you about your sustainability practices in job interviews. … We’ve seen a lot more interest in it, so it really does matter.”