Building Retrofits: Energy Conservation and Employee Retention Considerations in Medium-Size Commercial Buildings

Commercial buildings are among the largest consumers of energy. In an attempt to control and reduce operating expenses, building owners and organizations leasing commercial space are pursuing energy efficiency measures to generate a higher return on investment. In this study, an extensive literature review is used to identify and discuss energy efficiency considerations for medium-size building owners and how savings from these measures may benefit organizations through employee satisfaction and retention.

For the purpose of this study, the specific topics related to commercial building energy efficiency that were investigated include (1) outcomes of building retrofits (2) corporate social responsibility and performance; (3) performance of energy efficient buildings; (4) employee commitment, satisfaction productivity and organizational profitability; (5) green companies and employee attraction; (6) the cost of turnover.

There is little literature specifically focused on the impact that energy efficient buildings have on medium-sized building owners and no literature that quantifies the financial benefits through a reduction in employee turnover or attrition. Facility managers of all building sizes will benefit from gaining (1) a broad understanding of the impact of energy efficiency measures on employees (2) the ability to articulate the impact of the building?s role on employee productivity, turnover and other HR related issues (3) the insight needed to contribute to strategic discussions within their organization about how facilities can benefit organizational profitability.

This research does not attempt to claim or determine a causal relationship between energy efficiency and employee turnover however it does discuss issues that that could affect employee attrition.. Further research to determine this causality would benefit the study of energy efficiency and its total impact on organizations.