Sustainability and Wellbeing at Work

Julie Starr • December 22, 2022



Workplace well-being is really important. The happier and healthier your employees are, the more productive they will be, the better your business image will be, and the easier it will be for you to retain your staff long-term, amongst other things.

Sustainability is also increasingly important in the workplace because consumers increasingly demand that companies they patronize are environmentally aware. Business owners are increasingly conscious of their impact on the world too.

So, how do you combine well-being at work with sustainability in the workplace? It’s surprisingly easy and effective to do.

Offer recycling schemes

Simple things like offering recycling schemes in the workplace can have a positive impact on employee wellbeing because staff will feel like they are working in a company that genuinely cares about the planet, they can be proud to work for a company that takes its sustainability responsibilities seriously, and this will make them much happier coming to work each day.

Offer sustainable employee perks

Employee rewards are important for staff well-being. Employees who do a good job deserve to be rewarded as an incentive to continue the hard work and an acknowledgment of the value you place on them.

Often, rewards are not particularly sustainable in nature; things like company cars and extra cash are only likely to negatively impact the planet, but there are, in fact, lots of sustainable options you can choose from instead.

Employee rewards like meditation classes , cycling, tree planting, and nature hikes, which you can offer vouchers for in return for your employees doing them, are all good ways to boost mental well-being while also encouraging love and care for the planet, with the added bonus that your staff will get healthier, and here for be less likely to take sick days too.

Volunteering

Having your employees’ volunteer for a good cause is a great way to boost your PR as a company. Philanthropic businesses are almost always looked upon more favorably than those that are not, and this makes it worthwhile just for your business alone.

It can also be good for your employees and the planet too. Your staff will really value having the day off to go and clean plastic from the ocean or plant trees in the local park, and doing so will not only boost their well-being by giving them lots of fresh air and an important purpose, but it will actively help to make the planet a better place too.

Implement a four-day workweek

Allowing your employees to work fewer days will be great for their stress levels, and mental health in general, It will also mean fewer commutes, which will do so much good for the planet and help your company to encourage more sustainability too.

As you can see, sustainability and well-being at work go hand in hand, so if you are looking to boost employee health and well-being, start with sustainable measures right from the off, and you will not regret it.

By Julie Starr July 17, 2025
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By Julie Starr July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.