When designing lighting for your office, there is much to be considered beyond cost, aesthetics and environmental impact. Are you aware of how big an effect the right or wrong kind of lighting can have on the productivity, well-being and creativity of your employees?
 
Poor lighting has been proven to impede performance and, over the long term, can have a detrimental effect on the health and well-being of your team, resulting in increased levels of absenteeism in the workforce. Eye strain, headaches, and postural problems can result from poorly thought out lighting which causes glare by bouncing off computer screens or is insufficient for the comfortable performance of tasks being carried out.
 
Insufficient lighting can also be a contributing factor to seasonal affective disorder or depression in employees. Natural light exposure is key for enhancing mood and encouraging increased quality of sleep, whereas too much exposure to artificial lighting can lead to employees feeling much more tired at the end of the day and productivity can then tail off accordingly.

So What Can Be Done?

Allowing employees to have control over the lighting of their workspace has been proven to increase their sense of overall satisfaction and also to reduce levels of stress in individuals. If you can install adjustable office lighting, you will see the benefits and your employees will be grateful for it.
 
Getting the level of the lighting right in the first place will make a big difference. The ideal is to have a good amount of contrast between the work area in which the task is focused and the background, so spotlights and lamps can really give flexibility in this area.
 
Think carefully about the tasks that your employees are working on when deciding what will work best for them. For example, computer screens are often badly affected by strong overhead lighting and prolonged use under these conditions can be uncomfortable and unhealthy. Detailed work requires good illumination of the area on which the task is focused, and if the user can control the lighting, then all the better. Creativity has been proven to be higher in environments where the lighting is lower and softer, so avoid strip lighting or high lumens LEDs for your creative teams. Sales teams might benefit from the uplift in energy and focus that comes from brighter lights. For example our premium office lighting has proven to be very popular, the ultra slim profile fits seamlessly into any work place.

The leading edge of lighting technology now includes smart lighting systems and even so-called "biodynamic" lighting systems. The former will respond to overall light levels through a series of sensors and adjust artificial lighting accordingly, while the latter goes a step further and allows lighting sequences to be tailored to the circadian rhythms of the workforce and adapted to suit the required mood or energy levels for the team. However far you decide to go with your own lighting design, taking even a few of these factors into consideration and making well-informed choices will reap dividends in terms of workplace productivity and the well-being and job satisfaction of your employees.

Contact us at Arrow Electrical to find out how we can help