With the increasing population and changing lifestyle, dependent on comfort and

technology, of people accross the globe, the consumption of natural resources has
grown exponentially. However, these natural resources are limited and we have no
other Second Earth to tavel to once we use up all the resources here. Also we
cannot stop the growing trend of development. So there is a need for reconciliation
between these two. Here comes the notion of sustainable development. Sustainable
development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (United Nations, 1987).
Several national and international policies and legislations are enforced so that
all business and financial service sectors meet the requirements set by the
government to protect the environment.

Since sustainable development has become one of the important part in any business,
work practices based on sustainable development has gained a prime concern.
Sustainable workplace practices means creating and maintaining a safe, healthy and
functional workplace. An organization must put in place practical and efficient
work processes to minimize the impact of employee production on the office
environment and employees. Sustainable workplace practices go beyond what is
required by law and ensure longevity and overall well-being of the workforce.
Practices of this nature include examining employee carbon footprint, offering
occupational wellness programs and stress-reducing strategies (e.g., nap rooms, on-
site massages and stretch breaks), and providing wellness-related benefits such as
on-site gyms. Maintaining a sustainable workplace also means minimizing external
environmental impactfor example, by purchasing repurposed and recycled materials,
minimizing unnecessary employee travel, and reducing energy and water consumption.

Some steps that can be adopted to make office environment sustainable includes but
are not limited to :
1. Use of 3Rs ( Reuse, Recycle and Reduce):
Reduce: By using email, electronic billing and cloud computing, a firm can go
paperless which can save tons of trash and money as well. The use of energy
saving euqipments, lightnings and intellegent thermostats, we can reduce
electricity consumption.

Reuse: Some of the items that can be reused in office includes paper that is
printed on only one side, boxes that can be used to store papers and other
documents, use of ceramic coffee mugs instead of paper cups, etc.

Recycle: Purchasing of recycled materials for office supply, equipments, use

of recycled papers, glass and plastic bottles, toner and printer cartidges in
office can help to reduce the waste generating from office and is also soft on
environment.

2. Green Meetings: Hosting virutal meetings is a good way to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions from travel and to reduce costs. Encourage employees to teleconference,
utilize conference calls or host a live web meeting whenever possible to reduce the
need to travel from meeting to meeting.

3. Worksite Wellness: Providing wellness programs can improve employee

satisfaction, redue stress, decrease absenteeism and increase productivity. These
includes establishing short exercise programs during the workday, allowing flexbile
work schedules, selecting worksite close to public transportation, walking trails,&
fitness facilities.

The Triple Bottom Line, TBL, is an accounting framework that incorporates three
dimensions of performance: social, environmental and financial. This differs from
traditional reporting frameworks as it includes ecological (or environmental) and
social measures that can be difficult to assign appropriate means of measurement.
The TBL dimensions are also commonly called the three Ps: people, planet and
profits.

People: Companies that follow TBL principles think about the impact they have on
people who are associated with them, from the people suppyling the raw materials to
the CEO. The company provides good and safe working environment, health care and
education, flexible work schedules to their employees. They also fulfill the social
responsibilities as they are a part of it. This leaves a positive impact on the
minds of employee and customers which a great gain for a company.

Planet: TBL approach encourages companies to reduce their ecological footprint.

They look at the effect of their actions on the environment. Afterall, it's not
just about the money. Companies try to reduce the use of resources by adopting
steps/strategies mentioned above.

Profit: When looking at profit from a triple bottom line standpoint, the idea is
that profits will help empower and sustain the community as a whole, and not just
flow to the CEO and shareholders.

Thus, when employee and customers know what are they engaged with and how are their
actions affecting the environment and people around them, they are probably going
for the companies that follow TBL principles and not just some other companies who
run business at the cost of environment and other peoples lives.

References:
http://www.cdc.gov/sustainability/workplace/index.htm
http://ecycler.com/2012/01/17/reducing-reusing-and-recycling-in-the-workplace/
https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/hr-
qa/pages/sustainableworkplacepracticesandhowtheybenefitthebottomline.aspx
http://www.ibrc.indiana.edu/ibr/2011/spring/article2.html
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_79.htm