Did you know that according to the American Society of Interior Design, “68 percent of employees complain about the lighting situation in their offices”? By taking the time to address issues regarding the office environment, employees will have improved productivity and a better overall experience while working. Furthermore, “windows were the number one determinant of the occupants’ level of satisfaction with a building.” Knowledge of your office environment and how to improve it will improve your employees’ relationship with their office.
Furthermore, a company’s office environment is pivotal in establishing a productive work culture. The windows in an office space dictate factors such as sunlight exposure, the general openness of the office, the company brand, and more. There are a wide variety of office window treatments available that will improve the productivity of your business and give your office a new facelift. Below are nine ways that window treatments can benefit you business’s productivity.
One: Reduce glare
Reducing the glare from windows is particularly effective in offices with multipurpose viewing technology. For example, sunlight exposure needs to be changed between using a computer screen, projector, or other media that requires viewing. Glare can also cause headaches for employees and therefore decrease their work productivity. By treating your windows and reducing glare, you will be benefiting both your employees and your office’s efficiency.
Two: Increase productivity
According to recent studies, “optimizing the amount of natural light in an office significantly improves health and wellness among workers, leading to gains in productivity.” It’s also been shown that people are most productive in natural light as opposed to artificial lighting. For offices located in urban settings, sunlight exposure is particularly important because it creates the feel of a more open work space. By increasing natural light, employees don’t feel so confined and can maximize their time in the office.
Three: Represent company brand
Your office should exemplify your company culture, and your window treatments can contribute towards that branding. There are a wide variety of options, including rolling shades, folding shapes, motorized shades, blackout shades, and more, that can portray your brand’s aesthetic. By working with a professional window treatment service, you can guarantee that the window covering you install will reflect your business and its mission.
Four: Control temperature
In the warmer months, minimizing direct sunlight on employees’ work spaces can allow them to work at their fullest capacity without overheating or being distracted by the office’s temperature. Additionally, installing window treatments is an investment that will have financial benefits. Insulating shades can reduce heat gain by up to 45 percent, which means reduced costs on energy costs related to air conditioning. Similarly, cellular shades have pockets that create more space between your heated interior and the colder exterior in the winter months. In utilizing these options, you maximize your office’s heating system and are not burning money on temperature control.
Five: Improve lighting for working on computers
If your employees are required to work primarily on computer screens or other digital devices, it’s important to provide them ideal lighting conditions. Having sunlight from directly behind or in front of computer screens can increase the demand on employees’ eyes, specifically because that sunlight causes glare, contrast issues, and shadows. A variety of window treatment options are available, including blinds, shades, and tinted window films to reduce harsh sunlight without compromising the natural light in the office.
Six: Improving multipurpose rooms
By investing in your window treatments, you will maximize your office space and can have more flexibility with multipurpose rooms. By installing blackout shades, tinting, or roller shades, you can easily control the amount of light entering the room. This allows you to capitalize on office spaces and use them for a variety of purposes, from projecting presentations in a blackout room, conducting conference calls in a well-lit room, or holding meetings in a space with natural sunlight.
Seven: Reducing Carbon Footprint
There are a variety of eco-friendly blinds available that will reduce your carbon footprint as well as enhance your work space. These blinds are made from natural materials and improve the insulation in your office, minimizing your reliance on petroleum-fueled temperature controllers such as air conditioning in the summer or heating in the winter. By relying less on temperature control units, you will be reducing your carbon footprint, saving money on office maintenance, and encouraging employees to work in an eco-friendly manner.
Eight: Improve morale
Employees’ morale will be significantly improved by updating your office’s window treatments. Your employees will be able to function in an ideal workspace that is void of lighting issues and improved temperature insulation. By providing them with the best work conditions, they will enter the office each day with an improved demeanor and eagerness to excel.
Nine: Increase privacy
Window treatments can also allow you to control the privacy of your office, whether that means privacy from the outside or privacy internally. Client meetings and confidential discussions can occur more freely when there is control over the sound and visibility from one office to another. Window treatments such as blinds, roller shades, and tinting can allow your employees to feel more secure when conducting private conversations with each other or with clients.
Office Window Treatments
By utilizing the wide array of office window treatments that are on the market, you can ensure that your employees are happy, healthy, and productive throughout the work day. Blinds, shades, shutters, and drapes are all available in a myriad of styles and colors, enabling you to not only take advantage of their functional benefits, but also utilize design to improve your company brand. If you take into account the role of window treatments when furnishing your office environment, you can see an increase in the work productivity of your employees.
