The Best Office Lighting For Better Productivity


In our everyday routine, our overall temperament, the reaction towards actions, conversational behavior, and productivity is directly influenced by the ambiance and environmental factors. Subconsciously, we might not even notice it, but external factors and everything surrounding us substantially impacts how we think, act, and produce. However, as far as office productivity is concerned, certain factors can boost office output but mostly overlooked by the employers, which is proper lighting. Lighting is not the only illumination, but it boosts the office employees’ overall productivity in reality.

To create a blend of visual accuracy and corporate ambiance, appealing lights are used. Office lighting, however, is one of the fundamental determinants of an employee’s perception regarding the workplace. This also leads to effective employee performance and increases the office’s aesthetic look and appeal, making it a favorable place to work. Essentially, artificial lights should be paired with a balance of natural light to achieve best practices. Your office or workplace is where individuals spend their major and significant part of the day.

Almost 7 to 10 hours within a week are spent working in the office buildings to interpret the impact of office atmosphere and mood changes. This is where maximum hours are spent, and favorable workable conditions such as effective lighting should be introduced for a proper learning experience.

Lighting directly correlates with ergonomics, which is defined as the designing and attaching objects people prefer to enhance their performance. It is how people and things are directly linked and how they interact. Workplace ergonomics is the science of designing the workplace to consider the capabilities and limitations of the worker. Improvement in overall ergonomics reduces risks and enhances human performance. On a bright sunny day and good quality lighting, expect better employee behavior, increased concentration, enhanced interpersonal skills, mood improvement, and spine-related injuries. Dim lighting often results in headaches, migraines, tiredness, and fatigue during office hours. However, if the right kind of lighting is used, the employees will feel contended in terms of burden and will go home happier after giving a high-spirited performance. When lighting is being selected for the office environment, different countries have different workplace safety and working conditions. It is therefore essential to keep these regulations in mind before choosing the right one.

What is Kelvin best for office lighting?
The best light temperature for offices is between 3500 Kelvin and 5500 Kelvin. Anything above 5500K is just too blue, and anything below 3500K will make your employees less productive.

How bright should office lighting be?
When dealing with bright office lights, we need to know that recommended light levels in offices are from 350 to 450 lumens. There are no other bright light sources in spaces; lighting at around 350 lumens is the best. When the environment is already bright or large contrasts in lighting, brighter lights (400-450 lumens) are more appropriate.

It has been scientifically proven that office lighting is essential for overall health and wellbeing. Satisfaction and efficiency improve if ample daylight is welcomed in a well-lit office space. A study conducted by the American Society of Interior Designers exhibits that 68% of employees were not satisfied with their current lighting situation, thus reflecting how essential ergonomics is.

Led office lighting

Nowadays, LED replacements are used for workplace illumination. It is more energy-efficient than fluorescent as it does not contain mercury and does not flicker under the high-speed camera. These lights can also come at the cost of employees’ health and overall well-being as they are usually considered very bright and can seem unpleasant to employers. They can hurt the eyes when an individual is exposed to them for too long and can cause sleep disturbances.

Careful illumination can tie a room together and help draw the attention of employees to office details. The designers need to understand the lighting scheme and plan according to it. For a flawless lighting scheme, five lighting types, such as general, ambient, mood, accent, and tasks, are involved. General lighting is described as the one which provides a uniform and consistent scheme of light which is entirely practical. Ambient is somewhat similar to general, but it can be manually controlled to change the room’s overall setting as you can easily brighten dim room using controls. This type of flight is not directed towards any individual of the room and is overall softer. The amalgamation of general and ambient lighting in an office setting can illuminate large spaces in one go. Office workspace can also include elements of mood lighting. It inculcates the use of carefully positioned table lamps and freestanding lamps that will balance light and dark. Accent lighting is done when the designer needs to draw particular attention to a room’s specific attribute. This can be purely done in terms of designing and decorative purposes. Task lighting is essential in the office workspace because it helps the employees continue their tasks such as readings or office meetings.

Along with artificial light, it is essential to welcome natural sunlight into the office workspace. This can be done if large windows occupy a large part of the office as it enables maximum sunlight to enter. The use of blinds, shutters, and curtains should be according to the desirability. Having large windows can boost mood energy levels, hormonal balance, and it can also reduce eyestrain and headaches. If the office has no windows because of its minimal space, consider adding a general skylight or small windows to achieve the purpose. In some scenarios, the office spaces have difficulty finding appropriate sunlight; the closest available artificial lighting can manage this type of daylight. According to the lighting experts, this can be achieved if a proper color temperature of lighting is used in such offices.

However, meticulous and careful designing of the office layout is necessary before making the lighting sources. Otherwise, it could lead to a haphazard and inappropriate placement of lighting. The poor positioning of lighting sources can be more destructive, thus putting a halt to office activities. Most commonly, ceiling lights are seen in office workstations. But it is important to place them carefully and according to the design and plan as too many of the overhead lights can develop a glare. The ceiling lights’ positioning should not be directly over the employees’ eyes to avoid glare and confusion.

Dimmer lights are more commonly found in spaces including private houses, recreational centers, and entertainment centers to create a more relaxed environment; however, the idea is to find the right balance between yellow and white lights in the office workspace to boost productivity. And ideal lighting falls between somewhere in the middle where the lights are not too loud and not too dim. Dim lights during the winter or rainy season with meager sunlight can render low productivity and make moods low or unproductive. During this weather, the use of task light can serve the purpose. The indoor lighting needs to be brighter and warmer to substitute the natural light. Maintaining bright light will also improve the sleep pattern in the long run and keep the body’s circadian rhythm.

It is essential to analyze the color compass of lighting. For example, warmer yellow or orange toned lighting is better for relaxing or lying down. Whereas cooler, blue, and white light tones are generally more for concentrating and give a morning feel. If there are manual control spots present, the lighting temperature and color should be adjusted as the day goes by. In the morning, the lights should be brighter and cooler to help and concentration and increase the alert level. As it is causing an evening approaches, the lighting should be warmer, helping employees finish their tasks. There are multiple lighting combinations available in the market. Experimentation is necessary to lift maximum production within the office walls. A combination of different lighting improves personal productivity. Companies often look for ways to increase their staff’s comfort and create a dynamic, vibrant, creative, and motivating environment. It all depends on the lighting structure, natural daylight allowance, decorative items, and the wall’s tire color schemes.

Daniel Smith

Daniel Smith

Daniel Smith is an experienced economist and financial analyst from Utah. He has been in finance for nearly two decades, having worked as a senior analyst for Wells Fargo Bank for 19 years. After leaving Wells Fargo Bank in 2014, Daniel began a career as a finance consultant, advising companies and individuals on economic policy, labor relations, and financial management. At Nimblefreelancer.com, Daniel writes about personal finance topics, value estimation, budgeting strategies, retirement planning, and portfolio diversification. Read more on Daniel Smith's biography page. Contact Daniel: daniel@nimblefreelancer.com

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