Office lighting for wellness and productivity

What are my office lighting options?

Fluorescent V LED

When choosing the best office lighting for your employees deciding between fluorescent and LED is often the first place to start. While fluorescent options are typically cheaper than their LED counterparts, they are known to trigger headache and migraine symptoms among staff. Fluorescent lighting can also affect sleep patterns as it is known to hinder the production of melatonin. Alternatively, LED lighting is often seen as the more preferable option, despite being more expensive as they are energy efficient and can be dimmed to match the daylight outside which is better for both employees well being and productivity.

Natural Lighting

It’s widely known that exposure to natural light reduces the likelihood of eye strain, headaches and blurred vision while working. Natural lighting also helps with other elements of health and wellbeing such as regulating hormones, supporting a healthy sleeping pattern and working productively on tasks.

Incorporating windows into office design significantly benefits the workforce. If you don’t have many windows, perhaps consider the addition of skylights to your building as a way to add natural light.

Colour and Temperature

Choosing between warm lighting and cool lighting can be a difficult decision but should be based on the task at hand. Typically, warmer lighting in shades of yellow or orange is better for relaxing where as cool lighting in shades of white or blue are good for waking up, concentrating or working in general. If possible, it is advisable that during the morning, the lighting is best to be of cooler shades and warms up through the day supporting employees to wind down easier at the end of the day.

Brightness

Ensuring that your office space has the correct brightness for your employees is essential. Non-working areas such as communal spaces and the kitchen  make sense to have lots of natural light as employees aren’t looking at screens or concentrating on tasks. In areas where employees spend a lot of time at screens, supporting them by taking away more of the natural lighting which overwhelms the screen and replacing it with lighting that can be controlled more easily is a better option.

Making the correct lighting choice for your employees is vital in order to look after their wellbeing and support both productivity and creativity in the workplace to get the most from your employees.