OsmoZ, the workplace quality of life label

The OsmoZ label is the workplace quality of life label awarded by Certivéa, the certification subsidiary of the French building research centre CSTB, to offices: it certifies that the building, its fit-out and the way the organisation runs it contribute to employees’ quality of life. Certivéa launched it on 27 March 2018 and awarded the first label to Icade, for its OPEN headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, in June 2019 (Batiweb).

OsmoZ assesses the quality of the measures put in place, not the social climate or the quality of management, which are only considered through the tools deployed to improve them. The content of the work itself is explicitly out of scope.

Certivéa now presents it as an assessment of QVCT, the French term for quality of working life and working conditions, now used by human resources departments: OsmoZ maps the actions the entity takes across its six issues and 32 themes, and identifies its good practice (Certivéa presentation “QVCT et OsmoZ”, November 2025).

An application covers a site, meaning a building or part of a building, and an entity: a whole organisation or a clearly defined department. A single department on one floor can therefore be labelled, but not part of a department whose remaining staff occupy the same site.

OsmoZ does not come in Construction, Renovation or Operation versions like HQE: it is split into three levers, Building, Fit-out and HR activation, targeted alone, in pairs or all three together.

OsmoZ BuildingReal estate department

Building envelope, major technical equipment, location and plot. This is the lever for a developer, a property company or an owner-occupier delivering or refurbishing a building.

OsmoZ Fit-outWorkplace department

Fit-out of indoor and outdoor spaces: workstations, break areas, meeting rooms, flex office. This is the lever for a relocation or a floor refurbishment.

OsmoZ HR activationHuman resources

Services, rules of life and support tools provided to employees and visitors. It requires an occupied site and an employee satisfaction survey.

Requirements shared by several levers are assessed only once. Case studies published by Certivéa show the possible combinations: Hub’Side in Vitrolles, a new building, labelled on the Building lever only; ARP Astrance’s headquarters on the Fit-out lever; Chrysalide, MGEN’s refurbished headquarters in Paris Montparnasse (over 1,400 employees, fit-out co-designed with them), on the Fit-out and HR activation levers; Le Cristalia, Bristol Myers Squibb’s headquarters in Rueil-Malmaison (10,700 m², 600 employees), on all three levers (Certivéa presentation of 20 November 2025).

The OsmoZ scheme groups its requirements into six issues and 32 themes, applied to each of the three levers: the same theme, such as air quality, does not carry the same requirements for Building as for HR activation.

Source: detailed OsmoZ technical scheme v1.0, Certivéa and the Certivéa presentation of November 2025, which lists the same 32 themes.

The collaborative approach issue sets OsmoZ apart from building certifications: it scores the co-design of the fit-out with employees, the steering of the process and follow-up through surveys. The work-life balance issue assesses agreements on remote work or the right to disconnect, which neither HQE nor BREEAM looks at.

An example requirement: air quality

In v1.0, the indoor air quality measurement requirement (AIR 3) has two levels of guideline values, measured before the first audit and then every three years, using the HQE Performance QAI, HQE Bâtiment Durable, WELL or XP X43-401 protocol.

Source: detailed OsmoZ technical scheme v1.0, Certivéa.

The OsmoZ label has no levels: it is awarded, lever by lever, if the project scores at least 30% of the points on each of the six issues and at least 50% on average across the six.

The 30% per-issue threshold is the real filter: a comfortable average does not make up for a neglected issue. The audit report published by Société du Grand Paris for its Le Moods headquarters (Saint-Denis, audited in June 2021, scheme v1.1) shows issue scores of 56% to 83% on the Fit-out lever and an average of 64.15% (OsmoZ audit report).

Source of the rules: detailed OsmoZ technical scheme v1.0 and Certivéa’s OsmoZ page.

The OsmoZ label is obtained through a self-assessment on Certivéa’s ISIA platform, the submission of a limited set of evidence, then an on-site audit by a third-party auditor appointed by Certivéa.

ScopingStep 1

Choice of levers, site and entity, and length of commitment. ISIA’s preliminary questions (floor area, headcount, relocation, existing certifications) filter the applicable requirements.

Self-assessmentStep 2

Answers to the requirements in ISIA, by the applicant or by an OsmoZ referent recognised by Certivéa, who carries out or oversees the assessment under their responsibility.

Preparatory evidenceBefore the audit

The list of documents set out in the scheme’s appendix is sent to the auditor: project presentation, plans, macro-zoning, surveys. Other evidence is shown on site.

On-site auditStep 3

Document review and site visit. The auditor records strengths, sensitive points and non-conformities; non-conformities that are cleared count towards the final score.

DecisionStep 4

Certivéa awards the label per lever. Communication is then unlimited in time, with the vintage year.

One year or a three-year cycle

Source: Certivéa’s OsmoZ page and the detailed OsmoZ technical scheme v1.0.

“Under construction” means the process can accompany design, but the scheme requires the building to be handed over to be labelled, and occupied for the HR activation lever. Certivéa listed 29 OsmoZ referents on 1 January 2022; the CSTB referent training ends with a 90-minute multiple-choice exam, passed at 60% (CSTB programme).

Certivéa does not publish the number of OsmoZ labels awarded. The latest public count found, from March 2020, reported 7 pilot operations, 25 projects committed and 4 projects labelled (Pluxee, March 2020); ask Certivéa for an up-to-date figure before quoting one.

The OsmoZ label costs €10,500 excl. VAT on average according to Certivéa’s French page, auditor included; the amount depends on the project and the building’s total floor area.

Certivéa’s English page gives a different benchmark, €8,000 excl. VAT on average per OsmoZ lever: the two figures are not publicly reconciled, so ask for a quote per targeted lever. Not included: referent or consultant fees, air and water quality measurement campaigns, and the satisfaction survey if it is outsourced.

Sources: Certivéa’s OsmoZ page (French) and Certivéa’s OsmoZ page (English).

The OsmoZ scheme automatically reuses scores obtained in HQE Bâtiment Durable, in the Accessibility labels and in Certivéa’s R2S label, provided they are less than five years old.

The mechanism is an equivalence: if the required level is reached in the matching theme, the OsmoZ requirement is met without new evidence. In scheme v1.0, the requirements on low-emission materials thus refer to the air quality theme of HQE Bâtiment Durable, those on domestic hot water to the water quality theme. For older vintages (NF HQE Construction 2015, NF HQE Rénovation 2015, NF HQE Exploitation V2), a correspondence table allows evidence to be reused.

For details of the source schemes, see our HQE Bâtiment Durable certification guide and our R2S smart building label guide.

OsmoZ and WELL both target occupant health and wellbeing, but OsmoZ is a French workplace quality of life label that also assesses HR policies, whereas WELL is an international health certification built on preconditions and performance testing.

Sources: Certivéa’s OsmoZ page and our WELL certification guide.

OsmoZ makes sense when the project is led by a French HR or workplace department and the goal is change management; WELL, when an international investor or occupier expects proof of measured performance. The two can be combined: OsmoZ accepts WELL’s air measurement protocols.

Against HQE certification, OsmoZ replaces nothing: HQE Bâtiment Durable assesses the building on four commitments, including quality of life, while OsmoZ adds the fit-out and the life of the organisation. The bridges make OsmoZ Building a natural extension of a recent HQE certification. BREEAM and LEED certifications remain focused on the building’s environmental impact. Our certification comparison puts the schemes side by side.

Succeeding with an OsmoZ label depends first on the choice of levers and on involving the HR department from the outset; the method below is the one we recommend as sustainability consultants.

Choose the leversScoping

Only target the levers the applicant controls: a developer targets Building, an occupier Fit-out and HR activation. Targeting HR activation without the HR director at the table risks missing the 30% threshold on the collaborative approach.

Pre-assessmentBefore committing

Fill in ISIA in assessment mode, issue by issue, to spot the one that will fall below 30%. It is the only eliminating criterion; deal with it before looking for points elsewhere. In 2020 Pluxee reported a first self-assessment tool, OsmoZ Mon Profil, suggesting improvements according to the company’s maturity; Certivéa’s current page no longer mentions it, so check whether it is still available.

Use the bridgesFewer proofs

List HQE Bâtiment Durable, Accessibility or R2S certifications less than five years old: their scores directly validate OsmoZ requirements.

Schedule measurementsBefore the audit

Air and water quality measurements must be done before the first audit: order them at commitment, using an accepted protocol (HQE Performance QAI, WELL, XP X43-401).

Start consultation earlyCollaborative approach

The Société du Grand Paris audit report notes that the process began after the fit-out was designed, and that a survey not covering every axis of the OsmoZ template was not assessed as met. Use the scheme’s template or an approved one.

Choose the lengthStrategy

A one-year commitment is enough to showcase a handover or a relocation; the three-year cycle suits an organisation that wants to steer an action plan with a surveillance audit.

What is the OsmoZ label?

OsmoZ is the workplace quality of life label of Certivéa, a subsidiary of the French building research centre CSTB, launched on 27 March 2018. It assesses what an organisation puts in place in its offices, through three levers (building, fit-out, HR activation), against six issues: environmental health, healthy lifestyle, work-life balance, communication and social ties, functionality, and collaborative approach.

Is OsmoZ a QVCT label?

Yes. Certivéa presents OsmoZ as a comprehensive assessment of an entity’s QVCT (qualité de vie et des conditions de travail, quality of working life and working conditions): it maps the actions taken on the building, the fit-out and HR activation, and identifies good practice. It assesses these actions, not the social climate or the content of the work.

How many companies hold the OsmoZ label?

Certivéa does not publish a count of OsmoZ labels awarded. The latest public figure found dates from March 2020: 7 pilot operations, 25 projects committed and 4 projects labelled, according to Pluxee. In 2025 Certivéa cites labelled examples including Hub’Side in Vitrolles, ARP Astrance’s headquarters, Chrysalide, the MGEN headquarters, and Le Cristalia, Bristol Myers Squibb’s headquarters.

Who awards the OsmoZ label?

Certivéa awards the OsmoZ label after an on-site audit by a third-party auditor appointed and paid by Certivéa. Working with an OsmoZ referent recognised by Certivéa is recommended but not mandatory, and does not guarantee the label.

How much does the OsmoZ label cost?

Certivéa’s French page gives an average price of €10,500 excl. VAT, auditor included, depending on the project and the building’s total floor area. Its English page states €8,000 excl. VAT on average per OsmoZ lever. Referent or consultant fees and measurements (air and water quality) come on top, on quotation.

What score is needed to obtain the OsmoZ label?

The OsmoZ label is awarded lever by lever, under a double criterion: at least 30% of the points on each of the six issues and at least 50% of the points on average across the six. There are no levels such as Silver or Gold: the result is an OsmoZ score as a percentage, which the organisation may choose not to publish.

Does OsmoZ have a Construction version and an Operation version?

No. Unlike HQE, OsmoZ has no separate schemes per phase: it is split into three levers, Building, Fit-out and HR activation, targeted alone or together. A new building usually targets the Building lever, a refurbishment the Fit-out lever, an occupying organisation the HR activation lever. The building must be handed over to be labelled.

How long is the OsmoZ label valid?

There are two commitments: one year, with a single audit, or a three-year cycle for an existing building, with an admission audit followed by a surveillance audit. Certivéa then allows the label to be communicated with no time limit, provided its vintage year is stated.

What is the difference between OsmoZ and WELL?

OsmoZ is a French Certivéa label focused on workplace quality of life in offices, which also assesses HR policies (remote work, right to disconnect, diversity). WELL, from the US-based IWBI, is an occupant health certification with mandatory preconditions, on-site performance testing and four levels from Bronze to Platinum, valid for three years.

Can OsmoZ reuse the results of an HQE certification?

Yes. The OsmoZ scheme provides bridges with HQE Bâtiment Durable, the Accessibility labels and Certivéa’s R2S label, when obtained less than five years earlier: the score achieved in the matching theme automatically replaces certain OsmoZ requirements, for example on air or water quality.

Which buildings can obtain the OsmoZ label?

The OsmoZ label applies to newly delivered or existing offices, for a site (a building or part of a building) and an entity (a whole organisation or a clearly defined department). For workshops, laboratories or logistics sites, the scheme asks applicants to check feasibility with Certivéa.