A survey of UK employees shows that eight in ten are unaware if there is a policy to protect them from air pollution at work, with more than two thirds believing employers should take more responsibility.
Environmental charity Hubbub has launched an #AirWeShare campaign calling on employers to check, update or develop a policy on air pollution to protect the health and wellbeing of their staff.
According to Hubbub, the average British worker spends nearly 85,000 hours at work in their lifetime and more than 14,000 hours commuting, meaning employers have a significant part to play in protecting staff from air pollution.
Professional drivers and outdoor workers are believed to be among the most exposed professions, but office employees can also be exposed to high levels of pollution if they are commuting into busy urban areas and travelling to and from work meetings.
Polling commissioned by Hubbub has found that nearly two thirds (64 per cent) of employees would find a potential employer attractive if they had an air pollution policy in place.
When asked what their employer could do to reduce their exposure to pollution, the most popular measures were installing air purifiers, allowing flexible or home working, and cash incentives to encourage cycling, walking or taking public transport to work.
Advice for businesses on how to build a policy on air pollution can be found at www.airweshare.co.uk/businesses.
