Global design manufacturer Herman Miller, Inc. (NASDAQ:MLHR) announced today it has joined the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) as a participant in the WELL Portfolio program, which enables organizations to enhance their spaces and improve human well-being across a global footprint. Herman Miller is the first in the furniture industry to register as a WELL Portfolio participant.

“Building on a legacy of human-centered design, we’re excited to explore the WELL Portfolio program. It will allow us to analyze a broad swathe of our facilities through a dedicated lens exclusively focused on well-being, and to make decisions that will measurably improve the lives of our people,” said Matthew Stares, Herman Miller’s Vice President of Global Real Estate, Architecture and Development.

The WELL Portfolio program allows organizations to strengthen building performance while improving human well-being at scale by applying the WELL Building Standard (WELL) across multiple spaces in a streamlined approach. Designed to maximize the positive outcomes related to human health and well-being, along with the value of the buildings themselves, WELL Portfolio is a program for companies at the leading edge of the movement to improve global health.

 “Our environments play a pivotal role in shaping how we work and live,” said Gabe Wing, Herman Miller’s Director of Sustainability. “People spend upwards of 90 percent of each day indoors, meaning that the spaces, people, and products we engage with day to day have the power to impact our overall health and well-being.”

WELL Portfolio is based on the concepts of air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, mind, sound, materials, and community. By joining the program, Herman Miller will leverage evidence-based design, operations, and policy-based strategies from WELL across their defined portfolio of properties to support and enhance the full spectrum of well-being for its team, visitors, and customers at scale.

Herman Miller has been committed to sustainable buildings since it helped found the U.S. Green Building Council and earned LEED Pioneer recognition for its GreenHouse facility in Holland, Michigan, where most of its North American seating is manufactured. The company has also earned recognition for its benefits programs focused on employee well-being, including a partnership with The Source, a free on-site counseling resource for employees and their families which also provides courses on mental health first aid.

See related article: Investa Announces WELL Portfolio Rating Achievement Award

“At Herman Miller, we encourage our team members to bring their full selves to work and try to meet people where they’re at in their total well-being journey,” said Heather Brazee, Herman Miller’s Director of Employee Benefits and Wellness. “By participating in the WELL Portfolio program, we can start to bring our well-being narrative to our global real estate.”

Source: Herman Miller