6 Ways Window Blinds Improve Workplace Productivity
It’s been a productive morning at your desk so far and you’re on a roll. All this time though, something’s nagging the back of your mind. You shake it off – it must not be important if you can’t pinpoint it right away. As the day gets closer to high noon, you suddenly notice you’re perched at the other end of your desk, with your body contorted in such an impressive angle that Cirque du Soleil would hire you on the spot.
Escaping sun glare is a battle that’s waged every day across office desks. It’s unavoidable because most buildings have a strong focus on “daylighting” design. The idea is to maximise incoming natural light with lots of large windows so that the use of indoor lighting – and electricity – can be lowered. The problem though is that everyone inside would be at the mercy of the day’s sunniness, which has a bigger impact on employees’ productivity than we often realise.
This is where window blinds save the day by improving workplace productivity in several ways:
Reduced sun glare
No more contorting your body or squinting at your screen. It’ll lower your eyestrain so you won’t be as tired. You can also focus for longer periods of time without the constant distraction of re-positioning yourself to counter the sun.
Energy savings
Besides sun glare, uncovered windows result in uncontrolled heat gain. That means your air conditioning system works much harder than it has to. Installing window blinds won’t go against your building’s “daylighting” design; in fact, it’ll make “daylighting” much more efficient. Roller blinds – especially highly reflective ones – will bounce sunlight back out so that radiant heat doesn’t get trapped inside. For greater efficiency, get motorized blinds to automatically control window coverage throughout the day. You can then earmark the savings from using your air conditioning system less for initiatives to improve workplace productivity. That can be anything from training workshops, treating employees to lunch, fun activities, or small renovations around the office.
Improved thermal comfort
Your employees will thank you, too, for making it easier to work in a comfortable room temperature. Using window blinds to reflect heat from the sun actually allows people to fine-tune how cool they want to keep the office, rather than relying on cold blasts from the air conditioning system all the time. Maintaining a consistent room temperature in the office goes a long way in helping employees focus.
Individual control
This is really more for a workplace where everyone has their own office window and blinds, as opposed to an open-concept office. Since everyone’s lighting preference are different, they can adjust the blinds in their office to let in the ideal amount of sunlight that’ll help them stay productive.
Limit sun overexposure
As much as we love the feel of sunshine on our skin, we have to be careful about prolonged exposure to sunlight. Preventing sun overexposure with window blinds will maintain your employees’ health and their productivity.
Creative energy boost
Window blinds nowadays come in many colours and designs. You can customise blinds with colours that match your company branding or even colours to influence productivity levels in your office. Having splashes of vibrant colours in your office will brighten up your employees’ mood and give them boosts of creative energy.
Investments you make towards improving productivity will always pay off in the long run and it’s hard to beat the simplicity of window blinds as an investment in your office. You just have to be willing to pass up on a potential career with Cirque du Soleil.
