Creating a comfortable and motivating workplace, especially in an office environment, depends a lot on the lighting. Believe it or not, the lighting you have in your workplace can make a big difference in how well workers are motivated and productive. It can affect their moods and yours while at work.
Not only that, poor lighting in the workplace affects employees after they leave work, including changing how well they sleep and their quality of life. Proper lighting is an important factor in office ergonomics in the workplace. Here are some tips for improving the lighting in your workplace for the betterment of the company and your employees.
Increase Natural Light
The first step is to increase how much natural light your office has. If you have windows in the office, try to move desks and cubicles as close to the windows as possible. Open the windows and blinds during the day to let the natural light come in. This lets employees enjoy the sunlight and fresh air if the windows can be opened, while also lowering your energy bill. If it is bright enough, turn down some of the other lights in the office and get most light from outside.
Illumination
Be careful how low you turn down the lights. While you might want to save money and energy by not having lights turned on too brightly, your workers still need sufficient light. Too little lighting can cause slips and falls in the workplace.
Aim for a good amount of illumination, where no matter where in the office your workers are, they have proper lighting for their current projects. This lets them view their computer screens, work in the file room, and make photocopies with the same amount of light. It improves their energy and productivity, and reduces employee-related injuries from improper lighting.
LED Lights
LED light bulbs are more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent or fluorescent ones, while still providing sufficient illumination throughout the office. While using as much natural light as possible, incorporate LED light bulbs into your office’s lighting fixtures. It also creates a more pleasing tone and atmosphere with the slightly softer lighting you get from LED lights.
Energy Conservation
In order to save money on your company’s electric bill, consider energy conservation when planning your business lighting strategies. The first way of course is to switch to more energy efficient light bulbs, such as LED light bulbs. Aside from that, the fluorescent bulbs are more energy efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs. You can also set timers for some of the lights in your business, so that they shut off automatically when the room is not being used and save energy that way.
Ask Employees
Get your employees involved in the decision making with lighting. Some employees might like it brighter, while others need dimmer lights in their area in order to accomplish a good amount of work. Ask around and work to improve it for these employees, whether they need additional light, or the bright lamps hurt their eyes and would like more natural light coming in.
Aside from improving your workplace lighting, always protect your business with a business insurance policy.
