Did you know that 52% of workers suffer from health issues due to poor lighting in their workspace?
Inadequate lighting in the workspace can cause anxiety, lethargy, headaches, nausea, physiological strain, and visual discomfort. In fact, the long hours spent under the colour spectrum emitted by artificial light can lead to poor mental health. Therefore, we should ensure that our inside environments, especially at work, have a light colour index of close to 100, to mimic sunlight.
In a study conducted by a Cornell professor, workers that use natural daylight reported an 84% drop in symptoms of blurred vision and headaches.
And whilst you can always get full-spectrum natural light bulbs for your office, we strongly encourage other best practices to incorporate natural lighting to your working space.
Invest in Bigger Windows
Employees who sit close to the window and are exposed to daylight reported a 2% increase in productivity. The percentage might not sound too much, but has a great impact if you add the total number of your employees and the work days per week. We also recommend a floor-to-ceiling window to give your employees an unobstructed view of the outdoors.
Add a Skylight
On average, artificial lighting accounts for 40% of a workplace’s total energy. Adding a skylight can reduce your lighting energy cost between 50% – 80%. This is also a good initiative if your company wants to go greener.
Maximise Mirrors
If you are renting a small office space and it does not have big windows or a skylight, a quick fix would be adding mirrors to reflect the natural light. In addition, it gives your workspace a sense of style, elegance and character. You can even use a window pane mirror to give an illusion of the real window.
Choose the Right Type of Curtains
Whilst many offices now use blackout curtains to minimise light and noise, blind curtains are more practical. With blinds or roman curtains, you can control not just light but the privacy of your office. The best part is that these are low-maintenance and easy-to-clean, preventing allergens from affecting your employees. Remember, according to the World Health Organization, workplace exposure to dust is responsible for 11% of asthma cases globally.
Venetian and roller blinds are good choices, too.
Adjust Your Workspace Colour Palette
A lot of businesses use colours akin to their branding, which is good. But you have to understand colour psychology and how it affects employee productivity. Experts believe that using too much red can cause your employees to get agitated. Using grey can be depressive and lime may cause productivity loss.
The most practical choice is white, especially for taking advantage of natural light. But if this seems too plain, you can add colour tones to adjust the shade. Go for flat white instead of glossier finish to reduce glare.
If you are looking to build, fit-out, or renovate your office space, contact us to start a confidential chat.