Introducing plants into an office space makes staff happier and boosts productivity by 15 per cent, according to an international study.

The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, is the first of its kind to assess the long-term impacts of plants in an
office environment.

Co-authored by Professor of Psychology and Australian Research Council (ARC) Laureate Fellow at the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland,
Alex Haslam, the study found that adding plants to an office also improved employee satisfaction and quality of life.

Professor Haslam said a green office helped employees to be more physically, mentally and emotionally involved in their work.

"Office landscaping helps the workplace become a more enjoyable, comfortable and profitable place to be," he said.

"It appears that in part this is because a green office communicates to employees that their employer cares about them and their welfare."

The study was conducted in partnership with researchers from Cardiff University, the University of Exeter and the University of Groningen.

The research team examined the impact "lean" versus "green" office space has on employees from two large commercial offices in the United Kingdom and the
Netherlands.

The team monitored staff productivity levels over a two-month period, and employees were surveyed to determine perceptions of air quality, concentration,
and workplace satisfaction.

"Employees were more satisfied with their workplace and reported increased concentration levels and better perceived air quality in an office with plants,"
Professor Haslam said.

He said the findings challenged modern business philosophies that suggested a lean office was a more productive one.

"Modern offices and desks have been stripped back to create sparse spaces - our findings question this widespread theory that less is more - sometimes less
is just less," Professor Haslam said.