Stress - a prime concern 

In America, Prof Virginia Lohr found that plants had beneficial effects. For her study of two groups of computer operators, she monitored their pulse rates, their blood pressure and skin conductivity, whereby increases in these measurements show the physiological signs of increased stress. Her findings showed that the pulse rates, blood pressure and skin conductivity of the operators working in the computer lab with integrated plants, all returned to normal more quickly. Not only that, but their concentration was better enabling them to make corrections more quickly and proving them to be 12% more productive.

One would imagine that anything that reduces stress would be of interest to employers. The Confederation of British Industry last year published figures that showed that 1 in 5 of us would take time off work because of stress. In 1999 this meant that the British Industry lost 6.7 million working days due to stress or stress related illnesses. The cost of this was around £7 billion last year to British Industry (Health & Safety Executive).