It is estimated that US employers lose over $225 billion annually due to health-related decreased productivity according to The Integrated Benefits Institute. Studies in a JLL research paper reported workplaces that adopted 'green' or wellness measures saw increases in productivity and employee retention and decreases in absenteeism, while additional studies show that companies with health and wellness programs, or wellness-informed design, have higher employee attraction, lower healthcare costs, higher brand equity, and outperform other companies on the stock market.
The piece by John Caulfield in Building Design + Construction details this, and other research.
As an early study of this concept, RoTo Architects worked with GEMINI Consulting to design a Learning Center in New Jersey. The 'co-working prototype' (decades before the concept existed) was designed around wellness elements including biophilia, flexible work arrangements and remote teaching, and featured zero gravity chairs and rolling desks. For more information, visit the project here.
