A large number of people in the workforce suffer often from, "communicable respiratory illnesses, allergy and asthma symptoms, and sick building syndrome symptoms". There is evidence that supports a change in building design, operation and maintenance of buildings will significantly reduce these illnesses. "Decreasing the prevalence or severity of these health effects would lead to lower health care costs, reduced sick leave, and shorter periods of illness-impaired work performance, resulting in annual economic benefits for the U.S. in the tens of billions of dollars". Through education, "(T)he current goal of providing marginally adequate indoor environments could be replace by the goal of providing indoor environments that maximize the health, satisfaction, and performance of building occupants". There is research that shows it is not just the absence of sick employees that affects a company. "The decrement in performance can start before the onset of symptoms and persist after symptoms are no longer evident". Numbers in the billions are lost due to respiratory infections.
