What Do Workers Really Want from Workplace IAQ?

9/22/2025

What, exactly, do workers today expect from their workplace environments related to indoor air quality (IAQ)? 

Fellowes recently released the fourth edition of its annual Workplace Air Quality Survey. This year’s theme, Racing for Clean Air, reflects the growing urgency to deliver healthier indoor environments as expectations rise quickly. The survey includes responses from more than 1,500 U.S. and Canadian office workers, and the U.S. results reveal the way IAQ affects comfort, performance and retention. The responses reflect the changes workers want to see related to air purification, HVAC upgrades and real-time IAQ monitoring. 

Among the survey’s key findings are these: 

• Only 52 percent of respondents describe air in their workplace as very clean. 
• Sixty-eight percent of Millennials and Gen Z respondents expressed concern about long-term effects of poor indoor air quality — more than double the rate of older workers at 28 percent. 
• Nearly 40 percent of all U.S. respondents say they would consider leaving their current employer due to workplace’s poor IAQ. 
• When asked about the steps employers could take to increase their confidence in IAQ, workers stated: 49 percent said install air purification units; 45 percent said update HVAC systems; 36 percent said make visible use of IAQ monitors; and 36 percent said provide access to real-time IAQ data. 
• Seventy-eight percent of respondents believe it is important that their employer share information about their IAQ, with Gen Z and Millennials placing more importance on this transparency than Baby Boomers. 

Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.?