Productivity doesn’t happen by chance, nor by scaring your employees with unemployment. It’s a result of a lot of factors, including motivation of individual members of the time and creating the best possible space to enable a seamless and less stressful environment.
The office itself plays a huge part in whether employees produce their best work possible. Having an understanding of how to optimize your workspace lighting enables you to get the most out of your employees.
Increase Natural Light
Offices don’t often look appealing because of the drab artificial light that provides illumination in windowless spaces. This traditional look of offices, it turns out, is bad for both physical and mental health as well as can reduce productivity.
The best thing that employers can do is give employees more opportunities to bask under the sun.
Many companies now recognize the benefits of having big windows in the office to allow more natural light to shine through. This has tons of benefits such as reducing the amount of electrical light used by 90%, reducing the number of sick days taken by employees, increasing their motivation to come to work at all times of the year and increasing productiveness.
Natural light improves productivity because it helps employees feel more alert and focused. The body uses light to determine day and night. So, when exposed to sunlight, the brain recognizes that it’s time to work.
It’s also been shown to improve moods, which can lead to a more positive work environment. When people are less stressed, they’re more likely to express gratitude, be empathetic or show generosity.
However, one downside of big windows in the office is dirt. Dust can easily accumulate and cover the glass, especially in places where there’s serious air pollution. Pure Window Cleaning can guarantee that your building can remain spotless. Cleaning is integral not just for aesthetics, but to make sure that the natural light is not being obstructed.
Optimize Artificial Light
For those employees who work in windowless spaces, there are ways to improve the lighting. Fluorescent light is one of the options because it mimics sunlight and provides a great source of illumination.
If you’re working under fluorescent lights for eight hours a day or more, there’s a high chance that you will experience side effects such as headaches, fatigue and eye strain.
There are several things employers can do to avoid this scenario from happening. Firstly, it is advisable to pick good quality lighting fixtures because they provide uniform illumination over an area.
It’s more natural to layer light fixtures instead of relying solely on overhead lighting. Lamps, scones, spotlights, and track lights brighten the entire room. Offices that work with laptops should consider using diffuse light to prevent glares that completely blurs the screen.
Offices should look into smart lights which can be adjusted to suit the needs of employees. For instance, bright light is great for working on computers while softer lights are better for reading.
No matter what type of artificial lighting you’re using, make sure to readjust them throughout the day. Dimming fluorescent lights during the evening helps to make people feel less agitated and more relaxed, which increases productivity before leaving the office.
What to Avoid
Avoid trendy lighting. In recent years, because of the popularity of industrial style interior, Edison bulbs have experienced a resurgence. These lights are supposed to represent the vintage look of the industrial age, but they don’t provide enough illumination to help employees carry out their daily tasks.
It’s also important to maintain the right brightness within workspaces. Too dim of a light will make employees feel tired, while an overly bright setting can cause eye strain, especially if the light has started to interfere with what they see on the screen of their PC. It’s better to experiment and ask employees for their feedback when fixing the lighting situation at the office.
Additionally, avoid harsh lighting fixtures. Their glow is too concentrated to provide the right amount of illumination for an entire space.
Lighting is important for the well-being of employees as well as improve productivity. Their environment has an impact on how they work because it can either lead to stress and negative moods, or it can increase motivation and promote calm.
Workplaces should be lit to suit the needs of their employees, but also take care not to over-illuminate an area with harsh or too bright light. For those without natural light in their workspace, artificial lighting can still provide enough illumination if it’s used correctly and adequately adjusted throughout the day.
