People who work in offices with sufficient daylighting perform better than people who work in offices lit primarily by artificial lighting. The benefits of daylighting exposure in the workplace are varied. They include: increased productivity, reduced absenteeism and greater financial savings.
Overall, people prefer to work in environments with a view. They enjoy exposure to sunlight, being able to see the weather outside, feeling sunlight on their skin, staring into the distance outside as they contemplate their work. They experience an improved mood when they can see sunlight. They enjoy health effects when they’re exposed to daylight. This is so true that there are countries in Europe that require workers to be within 27 feet of a window while at the workplace.
Even in environments where workers can’t be exposed to natural daylight, like in facilities where employees work the night shift, use of full-spectrum lighting can replicate some effects of daylighting. Full-spectrum lights can help night workers adjust their circadian rhythms. Full-spectrum lighting can also improve mental performance, improve sleep quality, and improve morale – but these lights can’t take the place of natural daylight.
Daylight Improves Health in the Office
Proper use of daylighting decreases the occurrence of seasonal affective disorder, headaches and eye strain.
Eyestrain
Eye strain is the number one health problem that workers experience in office environments. Eyestrain occurs when the eye is not allowed to focus on different distances over long periods of time. This can even change the worker’s visual ability to focus – leading to near-sightedness or far-sightedness. When a worker is provided with a window, they’re able to focus on short- and long-range views, which can help strengthen muscles of the eyes that might not be in use around the office. Proper integration of light in the office also contributes to the visual health of the worker, allowing the eyes to see the full range of the world around them.
Stress Reduction and Improved Quality of Life
Daylighting plays a role in stress reduction for workers. Presence of daylighting helps workers cope with daily office stress, which improves their mood and attitude toward work.
This simple fact can have many cascading effects. It’s hard to tell what is the cause and what is the effect, but workers in offices with natural daylight experience fewer negative moods, less distraction, more positive social interactions with coworkers and ultimately, improved quality of life.
Office Productivity Goes Up, Absenteeism Goes Down
Office worker productivity improves as the quality of light improves. People with natural views of vegetation are more productive than people who do not have those views. Natural light increases alertness, attention and ability to focus, which can drive up productivity even when working on monotonous activities.
Meanwhile, some companies have associated an increase in natural daylight with a reduction in absenteeism. Lockheed Martin and ING bank both saw a decrease in absenteeism of 15% when workers were given greater exposure to daylighting in the office.
Daylighting Done Right: Skylights from VTECH
Daylighting can go wrong, when it gets in employees’ eyes, heats up interior spaces and creates a glare that makes office work difficult. Windows are an important part of office daylighting, but aren’t always the best solution to a lack of daylighting.
Skylights offer a no-glare daylighting solution – particularly skylights from VTECH. VTECH skylights are designed to be fully energy efficient. Made from Cardinal LoĒ³-366 glazing, VTECH skylights are just as functional as any other part of the roof, and don’t contribute to energy loss throughout the day.
VTECH skylights are also extra durable, because they’re made with RIM technology that blends Polyurethane and Isocyanate in a mold. Once the frame cures, it’s incredibly flexible and durable at the same time. That frame is then chemically bonded to the glazing to create one large piece that can’t be broken apart through everyday impacts or extreme weather events.
Contact VTECH to Order Your Commercial Skylights Today
VTECH Skylights are ultra-durable, long-lasting, high value and they can improve the work environment for people at your commercial building. To order your skylights, call us today.