Many factors impact workplace productivity. However, one factor that often gets overlooked when people discuss this subject is the lighting in an office. Men and women know reading in dim light hurts their eyes, but the problem goes much further than this. Many aspects of a person’s life are affected by the light they are regularly exposed to, and employers must take this into consideration.
Lighting Concerns
According to the American Society of Interior Design, approximately 70 percent of employees state they dislike the current lighting in their workplace. Employers need to take this into account and determine if investing in upgrades may lead to healthier and more productive employees. Those employers should determine if the lights are too harsh or too dim or if they are dealing with another issue completely.
Artificial Lighting and Its Drawbacks
Dim lights cause many problems in the workplace. A lack of sufficient light leads to headaches and eye strain because the eyes must work harder. People often find they become drowsy in dim lighting and they cannot focus on the task at hand.
Harsh lighting remains more common in the workplace and can be just as detrimental as dim lighting. Employers may wish to consider investing in Fluorescent Light Covers to protect employees from eye strain and migraine headaches, which are often triggered by this type of lighting. The eyes find it harder to focus in fluorescent lighting, and employers must take this into account when upgrading the lighting design.
The Advantages of Natural Light
Natural light remains the best choice in the workplace. In fact, a study conducted in the United Kingdom found the main thing influencing employee satisfaction was natural light. Lighting in a workspace determines how and what a person sees and affects an individual’s behaviour, mood, and hormonal balance. Employers find any upgrades they make to the lighting pay off in the form of healthy, happy, and productive workers who miss less time.
Productivity
The impact of proper lighting on productivity astounds many people. Employers find upgrading their lighting system benefits the organization in several ways. The company saves money in most cases, as newer lighting systems are more efficient than their older siblings. Employee productivity increases significantly when the right lighting upgrades are selected, and error rates tend to drop. As a result, the company’s bottom line improves.
Employers cannot afford to discount the importance of good lighting in the workplace. Light plays a key role in a person’s vision, and vision significantly determines a person’s perception of the world around them. Ignoring the lighting in a workplace has a negative impact on employee productivity and a company’s profits.
If you feel your employees aren’t living up to their potential, it becomes imperative to determine why this is the case. When the current lighting system has a major role in this problem, it’s time to consider upgrading to natural light. These improvements pay for themselves in less time than you may imagine in the form of improved employee productivity and satisfaction.
