Poor Workplace Indoor Air Quality Could Push Nearly a Third of Younger Canadian Workers to Quit

Nearly 27% of Canadian respondents would consider leaving their current employer due to poor workplace air quality

Fellowes’ 2025 Clean Air Survey shows Millennials and Gen Z are nearly twice as likely as Boomers to worry about long-term health effects of poor workplace air

ITASCA, IL, UNITED STATES, September 4, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A growing generational divide is reshaping expectations for workplace health and wellbeing. According to the 2025 International Day of Clean Air Survey from Fellowes, a leading provider of commercial air quality management (AQM) systems, 30% of Canadian Millennial and Gen Z workers say they would consider leaving their employer over poor indoor air quality (IAQ), compared to just 20% of Baby Boomers.

Now in its fourth year, the annual survey finds that, while concerns about IAQ remain high across the workforce, younger employees are driving a shift in its prioritization. In Canada, Millennials and Gen Z are far more likely to worry about the health consequences of poor indoor air quality, with nearly two-thirds (62%) expressing concern about long-term effects — almost double the rate of Baby Boomers (34%). Their worries are not unfounded: 81% of Gen Z and Millennials report experiencing at least one workplace IAQ concern, compared with 49% of Baby Boomers.

Clean air is widely recognized as essential to performance, with 93% of Canadian workers across all age groups saying it helps them do their best work. However, only 52% believe their employer is taking the right steps to ensure good IAQ. This perception gap could have real implications for a labor market increasingly dominated by younger workers. Millennials and Gen Z comprise the majority of the Canadian workforce today and will continue to shape workforce norms in the years ahead.

“Workplace expectations are evolving, with clean indoor air now firmly part of the equation,” said Jason Jones, Director of Air Quality Management at Fellowes. “While employees of all ages value a healthy work environment, younger generations are far more likely to view clean indoor air as an expectation in their workplace. As their numbers grow, this shift will only accelerate, making indoor air quality a vital factor in how companies attract and retain talent.”

The survey also highlights a growing demand for transparency. Overall, 77% of Canadian workers say it’s important that their employer share workplace IAQ data. When asked about the steps employers could take to increase their confidence in IAQ, workers showed a preference for installed air purification units (52%), followed by updates to HVAC systems (47%) and visible use of IAQ monitors (36%).

Additional findings from the 2025 Fellowes International Day of Clean Air Survey include:
● 73% of Canadian workers believe employers, not building owners, government agencies or employees themselves, bear responsibility for ensuring clean indoor air at work.

● Despite this, more than a third (39%) of Canadian employees have taken personal steps to improve IAQ at work — including bringing in an air purifier, opening a window or adding plants, specifically for the purpose of improving the air. That number is highest among Millennials and Gen Z (41%) and lowest among Baby Boomers (22%).

“The survey shows a clear shift in employee awareness of indoor air quality and its impact on their health, comfort and performance,” added Jones. “As that awareness accelerates, so does the expectation that employers will actively monitor and manage air quality with the same rigor as any other building system. Clean air is no longer a perk; it’s a baseline. At Fellowes, we’re proud to help organizations rise to that expectation with the insights and solutions to meet this new standard with confidence.”

To download the full survey report, visit https://fellowesblog.com/2025/09/02/racing-for-clean-air-survey-results-show-what-canadian-workers-expect/.

Samantha Dillie
Fellowes Brands
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