Despite the fact that humans thrive on natural light, we have over the years created a society in which we spend much of our day indoors where access to it is limited. But natural light is something that employees want and need at work. When looking at the most workforce-friendly offices, near Gatwick or anywhere else in the UK, the amount of natural light available and how it can be maximised has become a crucial consideration. Here we explore why that is, and how natural light brings a range of advantages to employees and buildings alike.
Exposure to the right amount of natural light is known to have a considerably positive influence on health and well-being, both inside and outside of the workplace.
A 2018 study by Cornell University revealed that common ailments such as eye strain, headaches and blurred vision are reduced by 84 per cent once controlled daylight is introduced into an office. And a 2019 study by Future Workplace identified that a third of workers surveyed considered comfortable light important for their daily health, rating lighting as the second most important well-being related feature of the workplace after air quality.
Natural light has been linked to improved focus, efficiency, and less illness with reduced sickness leave. Research indicates that the advantages of daylight exposure at work included, amongst other things, improved morale, and an increased ability to remember numbers backwards. Here are a few more benefits to natural light exposure.