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There are certain factors that everyone knows will affect workplace productivity, but there is one important factor often overlooked by most employers across the globe: lighting. Certainly, it is common knowledge that reading in the dark will harm your eyes, but lighting has effects well beyond that, and an employer’s choice of lighting can have a significant impact on the productivity of the company.
A study conducted by the American Society of Interior Design indicated that 68 percent of employees complain about lighting issue in their offices. Two most common scenarios for poor office lighting are lights that are too dim and lights that are too harsh.
The Drawbacks of Artificial Lighting
Dim lighting can cause eyestrain and headaches, because, when lighting is inadequate, the eyes are forced to work much harder in order to see. It may also cause drowsiness and lack of focus, which would obviously have a negative impact on employee motivation. Secondly, harsh lighting is much more common than dim lighting and is just as harmful. Florescent lighting, especially, has a number of negative effects on employees, as it has been known to cause eyestrain, and it is cited as a trigger for migraine headaches.
Natural Lighting as a Superior Alternative
The best alternative is using natural light itself. It is proven in two ways: directly, in the form of affecting what and how well we able to see, and indirectly, affect our mood, behavior, and even hormonal balance. Natural lighting renovations have created happier workers, less absenteeism, and fewer illnesses, and, because better lighting encourages satisfaction among workers, resulted an increased in productivity.
With light being a key component of vision, and vision being responsible for 80 to 85 percent of our perception of the world around us, it’s not difficult to see why ignoring proper lighting strategies in your office could have a significant negative impact on productivity. Harsh lighting and dim lighting are equally detrimental to the productivity of your workers, and, by opting instead for more lighting that is natural or other lighting systems that proven effectiveness, you stand to not only save energy but also increase productivity among your business’s employees.
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