The 2025 Fellowes International Day of Clean Air Survey finds that while concerns about IAQ are high across the workforce, younger employees give good IAQ a higher priority. Respondents in the Millennial generation (people born between the early 1980s and the mid-1990s) and Gen Z (those born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s) are far more likely to worry about the health consequences of poor IAQ.

More than two-thirds (68%), for example, expressed concern about long-term effects of poor IAQ — more than double the rate of Baby Boomers (28%). An even greater proportion of younger workers, 77%, reported experiencing at least one workplace IAQ concern, compared with 60% of Baby Boomers.

Clean air is widely recognized as essential to performance, with more than 90% of U.S. workers across all age groups saying it helps them do their best work. Some 61% said they believe their employer is taking the right steps to ensure good IAQ.

This perception gap could have implications for a labor market increasingly dominated by younger workers, a press release from Fellowes said. Millennials and Gen Z employees comprise 54% of the U.S. workforce, according to 2024 figures from the U.S. Department of Labor, 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 demand for transparency. Overall, 78% of U.S. workers say it’s important that their employer share workplace IAQ data — a sentiment that is strongest among Millennials and Gen Z. When asked about the steps employers could take to increase their confidence in IAQ, respondents showed a preference for installed air purification units (49%), followed by updates to HVAC systems (45%), and visible use of IAQ monitors (36%) and access to real-time IAQ data (36%).

The International Day of Clean Air Survey is in its fourth year. Additional findings from this year's survey include:

• Across all age groups, 52% of respondents described the air in their workplace as very clean.

• More than two-thirds of workers surveyed, 68%, believe employers, not building owners, government agencies, or employees themselves, bear responsibility for ensuring clean indoor air at work.

• More than half (53%) have taken personal steps to improve IAQ at work — including by 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 (59%) and lowest among Baby Boomers (26%).

“The survey shows a clear shift in employee awareness of indoor air quality and its impact on their health, comfort, and performance,” said 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.”

The survey was conducted online by Atomik Research among 1,006 U.S. adults who work full-time and spend at least one full workday each week inside at their employer's place of business. The results of a workplace IAQ survey of 501 workers in Canada were compiled and analyzed separately.

Click here to download the full survey report.