{"id":154269,"date":"2026-03-02T11:01:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T09:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/obera.fr\/our-advice\/poor-air-quality-at-work-is-also-an-invisible-cost-44-of-active-workers-estimate-it-to-be-over-e100-per-month-per-workstation\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T14:33:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T12:33:06","slug":"poor-air-quality-at-work-is-also-an-invisible-cost-44-of-active-workers-estimate-it-to-be-over-e100-per-month-per-workstation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/obera.fr\/en\/press\/poor-air-quality-at-work-is-also-an-invisible-cost-44-of-active-workers-estimate-it-to-be-over-e100-per-month-per-workstation\/","title":{"rendered":"Poor air quality at work is also an invisible cost: 44% of active workers estimate it to be over \u20ac100 per month per workstation."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n
\n 44%<\/span>\n estimate the cost to be over \u20ac100\/month per workstation<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n 59%<\/span>\n report at least 1 day of absence per year<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n 49%<\/span>\n observe a decrease in efficiency<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n\n \n
\n Press Release<\/span>\n March 2, 2026<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n \n

Poor air quality at work is also an invisible cost: 44% of active workers estimate it to be over \u20ac100 per month per workstation.<\/h1>\n\n \n

Is workplace air quality a new hidden cost for French companies? OberA surveyed 3,100 active workers in France<\/strong> to provide quantified data on the concrete impact of a lack of air management \u2014 symptoms, absenteeism, decreased productivity, lost time, and direct costs \u2014 and to measure the actual cost for businesses.<\/p>\n\n \n

Deplorable workplace air quality for more than 1 in 2 French people<\/h2>\n\n

Over the last three months of 2026, 56% of active French people rate workplace air quality as average to very poor.<\/strong> Even though 43% consider it good or very good, this disparity highlights significant potential for improvement for companies.<\/p>\n\n \n

\n
Over the last 3 months, how would you rate the air quality in your workplace?<\/div>\n \n \n
Answer<\/th>Result<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n
Very good<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>14 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
Good<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>29 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
Average<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>28 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
Poor<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>17 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
Very poor<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>11 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
I don’t know<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>1 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n <\/div>\n\n \n

Concrete effects on employees<\/h2>\n\n \n
\n 68 %<\/span>\n
\n of respondents report experiencing at least one effect associated with ambient air at work<\/strong>\n

During January and early February \u2014 irritations (38%), difficulty concentrating (36%), headaches (31%).<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n

And for those affected, it’s not anecdotal: 37% say these effects recur at least 2 to 3 times a week<\/strong> (25% frequently + 12% very frequently).<\/p>\n\n \n

\n
Over the past 4 weeks, have you experienced any of these effects at work that you associate with ambient air? (Multiple choice) <\/div>\n \n \n
Symptom<\/th>Result<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n
Irritations (eyes\/nose\/throat)<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>38 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
Difficulty concentrating<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>36 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
Headaches<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>31 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
Fatigue \/ drowsiness<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>25 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
Cough<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>12 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
Aggravated allergies \/ asthma<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>11 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
None<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>32 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n <\/div>\n\n

<\/p>\n \n

\n
If you have experienced at least one effect, how often does it occur?<\/div>\n \n \n
Frequency<\/th>Result<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n
Rare (1\u20132 times)<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>36 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
Occasional (1\u00d7\/week)<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>27 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
Frequent (2\u20133\u00d7\/week)<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>25 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
Very frequent (\u22654\u00d7\/week)<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>12 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n <\/div>\n\n \n

How many days of absence result from air quality?<\/h2>\n\n \n
\n
\n 59%<\/span><\/span>\n estimate having had at least 1 day of absence related to poor air quality<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n 11%<\/span><\/span>\n report more than 6 days of absence (7% between 6\u201310 days \u00b7 4% more than 10 days)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n

Over the past 12 months, 59% of French people estimate they have had at least one day of absence related to symptoms occurring or aggravated by poor air quality at work<\/strong> \u2014 and 11% even report more than six days. The impact is therefore very concrete on activity, and absenteeism linked to the work environment appears to be a cost largely underestimated by companies. <\/p>\n\n

\n
Over the past 12 months, how many days of absence do you estimate are related to symptoms occurring at work?<\/div>\n \n \n
Number of days<\/th>Result<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n
0<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>41 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
1\u20132 days<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>22 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
3\u20135 days<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>18 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
6\u201310 days<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>7 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
More than 10 days<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>4 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
I don’t know<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>8 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n <\/div>\n\n \n

Significant consequences for productivity<\/h2>\n\n
\n 49 %<\/span>\n
\n of respondents estimate a decrease in efficiency of at least 6% over the day<\/strong>\n

When the air is judged average or poor \u2014 and 11% even speak of a loss greater than 20%.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n

These are far from occasional occurrences: 45% say they experience these days at least 3 days out of 4 weeks<\/strong>, including 16% for more than 10 days. A recurring phenomenon rather than a simple isolated incident. <\/p>\n\n

\n
When the air seems average or poor to you, by how much do you estimate your decrease in efficiency during the day?<\/div>\n \n \n
Decrease in efficiency<\/th>Result<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n
0 %<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>17 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
1\u20135%<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>27 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
6\u201310%<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>25 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
11\u201320%<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>13 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
More than 20%<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>11 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
I don’t know<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>7 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n <\/div>\n\n \n

A direct challenge to performance and business continuity<\/h2>\n\n

During episodes of poor air quality, 41% of respondents observe a decrease in vigilance<\/strong> and nearly a quarter mention more frequent errors (23%) or rework (19%). Even more concerning, 17% report stoppages or slowdowns in activity<\/strong>, while only 29% observe no impact. <\/p>\n\n

\n
Over the past 12 months, have you observed any of the following impacts during episodes of “poor air”? (Multiple choice) <\/div>\n \n \n
Impact<\/th>Result<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n
Decreased vigilance<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>41 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
More frequent errors<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>23 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
Rework or touch-ups<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>19 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
Stoppages or slowdowns<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>17 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
Internal customer complaints<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>9 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
None<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>29 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n <\/div>\n\n \n

Lost time that quickly accumulates<\/h2>\n\n
\n
\n 59%<\/span><\/span>\n lose at least 15 minutes per week due to degraded air<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n 14%<\/span><\/span>\n report losing at least one hour per week<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n
How much time do you estimate is lost per week due to degraded air?<\/div>\n \n \n
Time lost<\/th>Result<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n
Less than 15 min<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>41 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
15\u201330 min<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>27 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
30\u201360 min<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>18 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
1\u20132 hours<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>8 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
More than 2 hours<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>6 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n <\/div>\n\n \n

Resignations caused by poor air quality?<\/h2>\n\n
\n 68 %<\/span>\n
\n estimate that air quality affected their motivation or desire to stay with the company<\/strong>\n

33% “a little”, 18% “a lot” \u2014 and 17% already consider it a reason for leaving.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n

Air quality is no longer a minor detail and is even becoming a concrete issue for employee engagement and talent retention. Indeed, 68% of respondents believe it affected their motivation or desire to stay with a company<\/strong>. The even more striking figure: 17% already consider it a reason for leaving.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n

\n
Did air quality affect your motivation or intention to stay with the company?<\/div>\n \n \n
Answer<\/th>Result<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n
Not at all<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>30 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
A little<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>33 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
A lot<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>18 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
It’s a planned reason for leaving<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>17 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
I don’t know<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>2 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n <\/div>\n\n \n

Costs still unclear but very real<\/h2>\n\n

Indoor air problems also translate into very real costs: 38% of respondents estimate their company spent at least \u20ac1,000 over the year<\/strong>, and nearly one in ten (9%) even mention over \u20ac20k. But the most telling figure is that of people who do not express an opinion: 31% admit not knowing how to quantify these expenses<\/strong>, a sign that the weight of this cost item is still poorly measured. <\/p>\n\n

\n
Over the past 12 months, can you estimate the costs related to indoor air problems?<\/div>\n \n \n
Annual estimate<\/th>Result<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n
\u20ac0<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>14 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
Less than \u20ac1,000<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>17 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
\u20ac1,000 \u2013 \u20ac5,000<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>16 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
\u20ac5,000 \u2013 \u20ac20,000<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>13 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
More than \u20ac20,000<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>9 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
I don’t know<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>31 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n <\/div>\n\n

An invisible but very real cost<\/h2>\n\n
\n
\n 44%<\/span><\/span>\n estimate a cost of at least \u20ac100\/month per workstation for the company<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n 19%<\/span><\/span>\n evaluate this cost at over \u20ac250\/month (including 9% over \u20ac500)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n

According to 44% of French people<\/strong>, poor air quality costs their company at least \u20ac100 per month per workstation, with 19% estimating over \u20ac250 (and 9% over \u20ac500). Despite this quantified perception, 22% do not know how to estimate it<\/strong>, suggesting that productivity losses related to indoor air remain largely underestimated in organizations. <\/p>\n\n

\n
How much does poor air quality cost your company on average per month, for your workstation?<\/div>\n \n \n
Monthly estimate \/ workstation<\/th>Result<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n
\u20ac0<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>26 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
\u20ac1\u2013\u20ac25<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>5 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
\u20ac26\u2013\u20ac50<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>3 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
\u20ac51\u2013\u20ac100<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>11 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
\u20ac101\u2013\u20ac250<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>14 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
\u20ac251\u2013\u20ac500<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>10 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
\u20ac501\u2013\u20ac1,000<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>7 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
More than \u20ac1,000<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>2 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n
I don’t know<\/td>
<\/div><\/div>22 %<\/span><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n <\/div>\n\n \n

<\/p>\n\n\t

\n

“This survey shows that poor air at work is not just a feeling: it’s an operational cost, made up of lost productivity, absenteeism, and business disruptions. This reinforces OberA’s actions and leverages our expertise, which consists of quickly diagnosing causes, prioritizing effective actions, and transforming a blind spot into measurable gains for teams and the company.”<\/p>\n

\n Thibaut SAMSEL<\/span>\n Director and Founder of OberA<\/span>\n <\/p>\n\t <\/blockquote>\n\n \n

\n

Methodology<\/i><\/h3>\n\t

Survey conducted among a representative sample of 3,100 active workers<\/strong> (employees, managers, and executives) residing in France, aged 18 and over.<\/i><\/p>\n

Online survey conducted from February 13 to 24, 2026, via the BuzzPress respondent panel. Representativeness was ensured by the quota method (gender, age, region, socio-professional category, professional status, company size, and sector of activity), then by weighting based on INSEE data. <\/i><\/p>\n

Company profiles:<\/strong> Services to individuals (27%) \u00b7 Services to businesses (24%) \u00b7 Public\/parapublic sector (18%) \u00b7 Industry\/production (16%) \u00b7 Construction\/BTP (8%) \u00b7 Transport\/logistics (6%)<\/i><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n

They talked about us<\/h2>\n
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\"logo<\/a><\/figure>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
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\"batitoday\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
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\"logo<\/a><\/figure>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
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\"logo<\/a><\/figure>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
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\"news<\/a><\/figure>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
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\"cropped<\/a><\/figure>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Productivity, absences, stoppages: 49% of French people report a decrease in efficiency and 59% report at least 1 day of absence per year. Indoor air: 38% of employees estimate their company spends over \u20ac1,000 per year due to poor quality <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Poor air quality at work is also an invisible cost","_seopress_titles_desc":"49% of French people report a decrease in efficiency and 59% report at least 1 day of absence per year. Read the press release of the study conducted by OberA. ","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1003],"tags":[18],"class_list":["post-154269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press","tag-entete-small","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50","no-featured-image-padding"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/obera.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/obera.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/obera.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/obera.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/obera.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154269"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/obera.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":154275,"href":"https:\/\/obera.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154269\/revisions\/154275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/obera.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/obera.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/obera.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}