There are a lot of things happening at the office that either contribute or detract from the productivity of your workers. But while it can seem like you have a lack of control over keeping employees from spending hours talking about their weekend plans while completing their tasks, you as a business owner and operator have much more control over how other factors can help productivity flourish, like lighting.
Types of Lighting
Of the many types of lighting available, only some of them have actually been found to be helpful when it comes to productivity. The others are proven to cause headaches, eye strains, and decreased productivity.
What the differentiation usually comes down to is the color of the light. Color temperatures are either cool or warm depending on how much heat they are making. Cool colors are hotter while warmer temperatures are colder, which may seem counterintuitive. However, Vivian Giang of MBA@UNC explains that it makes sense if you think of the colors in terms of the color a flame changes as it gets hotter.
When a flame is cooler, the colors are red, yellow and orange, which are warm colors. As the flame heats up, it turns white and blue, which are cooler colors. This same phenomenon relates to lighting in living and working spaces.
How Productivity Plays a Part
According to a study from the American Society of Interior Design as reported by Wellness Interactive, 68 percent of office employees complained about the lighting in their work space. And why is this? Because the lighting in their offices were either too harsh or too dim, giving off cooler color temperatures.
While you may think that cool color temperatures would give off better working light because they’re hotter, the opposite is actually true. Warm, natural light is proven to be better for productivity and the overall mood of employees. In fact, companies who bring in more natural, warm light have happier, healthier workers with more productivity and less absenteeism.
Tips for Creating Better Lighting
If your office or work space has harsh lighting that is a sore spot for employees, you may want to consider undertaking a lighting renovation. This could include creating more windows in your space to let in more natural light or even installing soft fixtures like ceiling fans or lamps. The warm, more natural light that fills a space by using soft lighting fixtures or windows will not only create a better work environment for your employees, but it can also save you money on electricity and other utilities.
As a business owner or manager, it’s up to you to create an atmosphere where your employees feel safe and can produce great work. If your current lighting situation is prohibiting them from working to their full potential, consider making a change that will increase your bottom line and your employee’s happiness by giving them soft, warm, natural light.
Originally posted on July 22, 2015 @ 2:24 pm