Fresher Air, More Ergonomic Work Stations Desired

SICK BUILDING = SICK EMPLOYEES?

By Brian Meyer

“What happened, buddy? You never used to get sick?” A former broadcasting colleague was only slightly exaggerating. During my stint as a street reporter for a local radio station, colds and other pesky maladies usually bypassed me. I always credited a blend of luck and vitamins for a healthy streak that allowed me to miss only five days of work in 15 years (not counting an emergency appendectomy.)

Sniffles and sore throats were rarities, even though I ran around the city in the soggiest weather. Not even an 11-year encounter with Jimmy Griffin weakened my constitution.

Then I moved to One News Plaza. Within months, I started experiencing scratchy throats, itchy eyes and stuffy noses. Nothing serious enough to confine me to bed, but frequent enough to be irritating. I even visited my optometrist and tried a couple alternative types of contacts.

After my sixth or seventh encounter with itchy eye/scratchy throat syndrome, I casually mentioned to a Buffalo News colleague that “maybe I’m just getting old.”

“It’s not you,” she said. “It’s the building. A lot of people have the same problems.”

The absence of fresh air emerged as a major concern in a recent survey of more than 100 Buffalo Newspaper Guild-CWA workers at the Buffalo News. Two-thirds of the respondents said they would always or often like to have more fresh air. The desire was particularly strong among editorial employees. A few of us keep tiny fans near our desks, but these devices merely circulate stale air.

The condition of the building became an issue in the mid 1990s after the News requested and received a significant cut in its property assessment. The $4.9 million reduction in value was based on many factors, including the building’s layout which limits its marketability. The structure’s air cooling system was another consideration.

The News is apparently poised to fight for another cut in its property assessment. It will be interesting to see if the process sheds additional light on air circulation concerns.

Of course, we all know the absence of fresh air isn’t the only work place woe at One News Plaza. According to the Guild survey, 81 percent of the respondents think the company needs to improve the quality of equipment or tools.

Relatively simple things like buying new chairs for staffers who are using antiquated ones would go a long way in demonstrating management’s sensitivity to work place concerns. One department has been waiting two months for three new chairs – an expenditure that would literally be paid for in the less than 30 minutes when you break down the company’s healthy annual profits into hourly cash infusions.

Speaking of furniture, there was a ray of hope not too long ago when a uncharacteristically-modern computer stand showed up next to the desk of a newly-hired reporter. Staffers admired its sleek design and functional qualities.

But the stylish stand disappeared a couple days later and was replaced by a more Spartan version.