In order for a business to thrive and flourish, there needs to be much more thought put into keeping staff happy and comfortable. Far too many businesses focus on the sales drive, meeting targets and ticking boxes, but the most basic thing is to look after those who work for you. If you can do that, you will instantly see a rise in productivity, and that of course leads to greater success and profits on the rise.
There are many facets to look at when it comes to ensuring the comfort, safety, and wellbeing of your staff, including office refurbishments, to ensure a comfortable space for your staff to work in, ergonomic and adjustable office desks and office chairs, and also ensuring a supportive, collaborative, and pleasant environment to work in too. The physical elements of ensuring and maintaining your staff’s wellbeing, is just as important as the work-related and supportive elements
Within all of that, have you given much thought to office lighting, and how that could actually increase productivity too
It’s true!
High quality lighting is vital for all parts of the workplace, from the reception, to breakout areas, the main office environment, as well as corridors and meeting rooms. Studies have revealed that there is a direct link between lighting and staff productivity, and according to the American Society of Interior Design, 68% of staff overall aren’t happy with the type of lighting that is installed in their workplace. Any discord in such an important area of work is bound to directly impact wellbeing and productivity.
In addition, there is a direct link in general life between lighting and rates of depression, creativity, and motivation.
All of this should really highlight the importance of good quality lighting in your workplace, but if you need a further nudge in the right direction, let’s check out a few other areas of discussion.
Good Quality Lighting Helps Employees to Effectively Manage and Deal With Stress
No matter how well you think you’re coping with your daily duties, there is always going to be a small amount of stress which comes into play. This is part of life, and it is part of work. The body releases a hormone called cortisol during stressful times, which is a natural way of coping with stressful situations, almost like the old ‘fight or flight’ response which the cavemen and women of old dealt with when a situation was deemed to be threatening.
Cortisol is therefore vital in stress management, but did you know that false lighting, e.g. a lack of natural light and too much artificial light, an actually decrease the amount of cortisol the body releases, and therefore affect the way in which staff deal with stress?
Far too many days are lost at work due to stress, and far too many people are affected by it in a health-related way. By identifying the best type of lighting for your office, as well as designing a comfortable space, you’ll solve the stress-related problem. You also need to address the problem of glare on office tables and reception desk furniture from overhead lighting, as this can be a huge problem and cause headaches for staff working in the area.
Good Quality Lighting Increases Focus and Productivity In The Workplace
If you are working in an office which is dark, dismal and has overhead lighting which is too bright, too yellow-ish, and basically makes the room difficult to work in, are you likely to be productive in your daily work? Unlikely.
It is thought that a cool type of lighting is much more effective for boosting productivity in the office, and helping everyone stay calm, less stress, and basically more comfortable. In the professional lighting world, light is measured in a unit called Kelvin. Cool lighting is therefore described as between 4000 to 7000 Kelvin.
Having said that, we all like a different type of light. In the home setting, you might prefer a lamp to watch TV during the evenings, whereas your partner might prefer the main room light to be on. For that reason, having personalised controls for lighting is a good option. This means that one member of staff can pick their individual lighting, which helps them to work to the best of their ability, and their neighbour can do the same.
Good Quality Lighting Helps Staff to Remain Alert
A dark office is not going to encourage alertness, it is more likely to encourage a sleepy atmosphere! Conversely, a too bright office is going to have people squinting and complaining of headaches. Humans are not designed to see that well in the dark, and it actually triggers our minds and bodies to think it is time to go to bed. For that reason, you need to invest in good quality lighting, at the right level, to ensure that you’re not dealing with staff who want to fall asleep!
A team who are alert means less mistakes, more productivity, and higher levels of creativity.
The Lighting And Furniture Connection
All of this needs to work in tandem with comfortable and quality office furniture too. If you’re searching for office furniture in London, we have a wide range of choices here at Calibre for you including some great reception office furniture options.
By ensuring your staff are comfortable in all facets of their job, from how they sit, where they sit, the lighting they’re subjected to, and the breaks they have, you’ll see a major difference in how your workplace is run. Happy, comfortable, and supported employees are always going to work better than a team who don’t really want to be there, and who aren’t comfortable during their working hours. Make sure that you know the difference between a team who want to be there, and a team who just have to be there.
When you combine comfort, quality and good lighting, you get a serious rise in productivity! That can of course only be good news for your profits, your reputation, and your overall business success.
Moreover... please also take note that we have created a similar article on the link between the physical work environment and job performance, which also sheds some light on the subject of lighting and employee productivity. You can get further details of this blog post on the Calibre Office Furniture blog page.