Every organisation possesses its own individual culture that is largely focused on productivity and, in the current era, employee wellbeing. The investment of a supportive and positive working environment that is directed at the wellbeing of its workers can singularly boost productivity. With that in mind, companies worldwide are looking at ways of looking after their employees over and above all else.
Addressing the physical workspace is the best place to start. Lighting, for example, is an absolute necessity but when incorporated into an intelligently-designed workspace, it can greatly contribute to wellbeing. In many cases, lighting is an asset that we pay very little attention to, simply taking for granted that an area will light up at the flick of a switch.
We couldn’t be more wrong.
Poor and unnatural lighting can be a leading cause of ill health within the workspace. A recent study by UK company Staples found that 40% of office workers struggle to work with poor office lighting every day. Dim lights do little for the eyes while bright, artificial strip lights are a catalyst for headaches and irritability. All-in-all, it does little to promote wellbeing and productivity.
The combination of inappropriate lighting and noisy offices are sufficient to cause high stress-levels and bad moods amongst workers. When employees are unable to hear themselves think due to incessant background chatter, coupled with the too-dim or annoyingly-bright light surrounding them, a healthy workspace rapidly diminishes. It also does little to retain workers, who could actively consider seeking a new position due to their compromised wellbeing.
