Light Station created at Southwark Bridge tunnel, London, for workers to get their light fix
- 80% of UK office workers say lighting is important to them
- But with sunrise at 08:04 and sunset at 15:53 this Friday (21st) workers will get virtually no light
- 32% of UK office workers say that better lighting would make them happier at work
- 25% are frustrated at having to deal with poor lighting
- Only 15% love their office
40% of office workers are struggling to work in poor lighting every day. This is especially relevant during the day of the Winter Solstice when office workers have little access to any daylight on their commute, which has a negative effect on their productivity and wellbeing – according to a new research report from Staples, looking at the impact of lighting in the workplace.
As employees grind through the darkest working week of the year, daylight-starved Londoners had the chance to get a much-needed dose of light at a pop-up Light Station in Southwark Bridge tunnel.
Staples introduced the Light Station to highlight that workers in the UK are getting virtually zero natural light this week. This Friday (19 December) sunrise is at 08:04 and sunset is 15:53. Workers are commuting to and from their offices in the dark, and the light in UK offices often leaves much to be desired.
80% of UK office workers, said that having good lighting in their workspace is important to them, but with access to natural light being so limited in the winter, many are fed up, and two-in-five (40%) are having to deal with uncomfortable lighting every day. A third (32%) said better lighting would make them happier at work.
Professor Sir Cary Cooper, from the Alliance Manchester Business School said, “The workplace is really important for the health, wellbeing and performance of employees, so having the right physical and psychological environment is critical. Most people are currently spending more of their daylight hours at work than at home, so lighting is clearly an important part of getting the balance right at work.”
Staples believes its survey shows that employers can seriously improve staff productivity and benefiting mental wellbeing by adopting well thought out lighting solutions – something that is easier to implement than many might think.
To find out more about how lighting effects office workers, download the Staples Solutions report here:http://staples.co.uk/whenyourspaceworks
