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Study: Employees Desire Natural Light and Views Over Any Other Office Perk
I wrote that natural light is increasingly recognized as a significant element in creating a great employee experience. It has the potential to keep employees more energized, more productive, and more engaged. […]
Jeanne Meister - Founding Partner, Future Workplace
Study: Employees Desire Natural Light and Views Over Any Other Office Perk
In my 2017 book, The Future Workplace Experience, I wrote that natural light is increasingly recognized as a significant element in creating a great employee experience. It has the potential to keep employees more energized, more productive, and more engaged.
If I was to write that book today, I’d add that as companies increasingly strive to create a great employee experience, placing employees in office spaces with the optimal amount of natural light should be one of their key priorities.
In a newly released study by Future Workplace entitled “The Employee Experience,” over half of the 1,614 North American employees surveyed said natural light and views of the outdoors were their most important office perks, ranking higher than onsite cafeterias, fitness centers, medical care and childcare. Download a summary of the study.
Key findings of The Employee Experience study include:
● Access to natural light and views is a positive factor on the employee experience. Employees say that access to natural light and views improves their overall happiness and well-being (78%), work satisfaction (73%), work performance (70%) and organizational commitment (54%).
● Absence of natural light and views hurts the employee experience. Over a third of employees feel that they don’t get enough natural light in their workspace. 47% of employees admit they feel tired or very tired from the absence of natural light or a window at their office, and 43% report feeling gloomy by the lack of light.
● Prolonged technology use makes employees want a view/natural light more. Over half of employees say that prolonged screen use leads to eyestrain or headaches at work. 73% agree that the longer they use their technology devices, the more they desire a visual break such as taking a walk or glancing at the view outside.
Creating a great employee experience is becoming a business issue attracting the attention of both CEOs and Heads of HR. These findings from “The Employee Experience,” are crucial to providing guidance for HR pioneers who are committed to delivering an exceptional employee experience. These pioneers are leading the way by reaching outside of the HR function to partner with heads of Real Estate, IT, Marketing, Internal Communications, and Global Citizenship to create one seamless employee and customer experience.
New technologies such as View Dynamic Glass are not only fulfilling employees desires to have natural light and views, they are also promoting employee wellness which remains a top concern for human resource leaders. Workers spend on average five hours and 42 minutes at their desk each day. Think of the impact access to natural light could have on their overall work performance, wellbeing and satisfaction. A healthy, restorative workplace is the foundation for a high performing, content and engaged workforce.
About Jeanne Meister
Jeanne Meister is Founding Partner of Future Workplace, an HR Executive Network and Research firm. She is the best-selling author of four books, two books on Corporate Universities and two books on the future of work. Her most recent book is, The Future Workplace: 10 Rules For Mastering Disruption in Recruiting and Engaging Employees. This book was awarded the Silver Axiom Best Business Book Award for Human Resources professionals in 2017 and most recently the receipt of the Bellwether award, by the Community College Futures Assembly. Jeanne is also a Contributor to Forbes and her column can be found here: http://blogs.forbes.com/jeannemeister/.
Hackley School Wins Prestigious Award for Best Health and Wellness Project
Congratulations to Hackley School and Consigli Construction Co., Inc. for winning Engineering News-Record’s (ENR) Best K-12 Education Project Award for Health and Wellness. […]
View, Inc.
Hackley School Wins Prestigious Award for Best Health and Wellness Project
Congratulations to Hackley School and Consigli Construction Co., Inc. for winning Engineering News-Record’s (ENR) Best K-12 Education Project Award for Health and Wellness. ENR recognized Hackley for their new Walter C. Johnson Center for Health and Wellness, a 115,000+ square foot multi-purpose facility designed in line with the school’s vision to promote health and wellness among students and staff.
Located in Tarrytown, NY, Hackley School is a K-12 independent school that seeks to challenge students to grow in character, scholarship and accomplishment, to offer unreserved effort, and to learn from the varying perspectives and backgrounds in its community and the world, with a deep commitment to building and sustaining strong community among students, faculty, and staff. Sitting on a heavily wooded landscape, the Johnson Center features sunlit common areas, a healthy cafe, three basketball courts, wrestling and fencing facilities, two fitness rooms, and much more. The Center is also home to all of Hackley’s physical education and athletics programs.
The complex is surrounded by View Dynamic Glass protecting the students and staff from unwanted heat and glare and enhancing mental and physical wellbeing. Designed to be more than a sports complex, the new space also includes nutrition classrooms and exercise studios to serve as wellness teaching spaces, as well as a mezzanine jogging track accessible to all Hackley community members. View Dynamic Glass ensures learning spaces have ample natural light and access to views, which has been shown to improve student performance.
View Dynamic Glass Chosen for Charlotte Douglas International Airport Expansion
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) has joined a large and growing list of leading airports rapidly adopting dynamic glass and setting a new standard in delightful passenger environments. […]
View, Inc.
View Dynamic Glass Chosen for Charlotte Douglas International Airport Expansion
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) has joined a large and growing list of leading airports rapidly adopting dynamic glass and setting a new standard in delightful passenger environments.
View Dynamic Glass is featured in the airport’s Concourse A Expansion – Phase I opening in July. The nine-gate, 229,807-square foot addition will house United, Southwest, JetBlue, Frontier and Air Canada airlines.
“This is a state of the art facility,” said Aviation Director/CEO Brent Cagle. “We are thrilled with the outcome. It sets the stage for what Charlotte Douglas International Airport has in store once concourse renovations are complete.”
Aesthetically, passengers will take notice of the wide open and spacious feel of the addition that is 30 feet wider than CLT’s existing concourses, as well as the high ceilings - all surrounded by View Dynamic Glass.
View Dynamic Glass reduces glare and unwanted heat within the terminal, providing a more comfortable environment for passengers and airport employees while also enabling CLT to reduce their carbon footprint.
“Concourse A Expansion – Phase I provides passengers a premier traveling experience,” Cagle added. “We’re really proud of the expansion,” Cagle said. “Our passengers are going to be delighted by the outcome.”
CLT’s adoption of dynamic glass builds upon its vision of embracing leading technologies to better serve its passengers, business partners, and the environment.
View Dynamic Glass has been installed at several airports to date, including Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
Take a sneak peak of the Concourse A expansion here - courtesy of The Charlotte Observer or watch this slideshow from The Charlotte Business Journal.
Smart Windows On the Rise in Chicago
What if you could sit at your desk during the work day, surrounded by natural light – and see your computer screen clearly and enjoy the comfortable temperature of the environment? […]
View, Inc.
Smart Windows On the Rise in Chicago
What if you could sit at your desk during the work day, surrounded by natural light – and see your computer screen clearly and enjoy the comfortable temperature of the environment? As an added bonus – you can see out the window to your view of your community, your city that you love. As the day progresses, the light changes as the sun moves but your comfort doesn’t.
If you are an office worker – this may seem like a dream! For the tenants of 2017 N. Mendell, this will be their reality! This newly-renovated 62,000 square foot loft building by Baker Development Corporation, is the first Class A office building for entrepreneurs to emerge in Lincoln Park. Leveraging the technology of View Dynamic Glass, it has been built with a vision around the health and wellness of the tenants.
But not only office workers are getting these benefits, our officers in blue are enjoying the surrounding views at the new 30,000 square foot Glen Ellyn Police Department. View Dynamic Glass is installed in the lobby and community room keeping those spaces light and comfortable and letting police and visitors enjoy the surrounding park views.
Elevate Lincoln Park, 930 West Altgeld Street
So - what if … you also had these benefits at home? Residents at Elevate Lincoln Park, 930 West Altgeld Street are going to enjoy these same benefits. Located next to the newly renovated Apollo Theater in Lincoln Park, this 11-story, mixed-use development also by Baker Development, brings 191 luxury apartments on the market. With View Dynamic Glass, tenants can fully enjoy the spectacular views of the Chicago Skyline to break away, recharge and reflect.
And finally – what if students could get the same benefits? A recent study shows that for every degree of temperature over 70 degrees, test scores for students dropped a corresponding 1%. Meanwhile, the 70,000-square-foot new Sunset Ridge School partnered with View Dynamic Glass to ensure learning spaces have ample natural light - but without the heat and glare. The result is bright, flexible learning spaces that foster connection, productivity, and student engagement. Wight & Company led the design of the new building while Pepper Construction provided construction management.
Congratulations to ChiTown for being a leader in making indoor spaces more connected with our natural world!
For more,read the press release.
Three tips to maintain a productive & healthy summer
The summer solstice on June 21st marks the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and is the unofficial start to our summer season. During the summer, you’re exposed to more hours of sunlight, which is fabulous if you’re on vacation - but can be not so great if you’re sitting in the office with glare and heat beating down on you at your workstation. […]
Vasudha Bisani, Marketing Intern, View Inc.
Three tips to maintain a productive & healthy summer
The summer solstice on June 21st marks the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and is the unofficial start to our summer season. During the summer, you’re exposed to more hours of sunlight, which is fabulous if you’re on vacation - but can be not so great if you’re sitting in the office with glare and heat beating down on you at your workstation.
More sunlight also means less darkness, which can play havoc with your sleep cycle and affect your overall health and wellbeing. However, when you’re well prepared, midsummer is a great time to start the day early and reap the benefits of more natural sunlight.
Here are 3 tips to enjoy this summer, while staying healthy and productive too:
1. Lighten Up: - While traditional windows let sunlight in, they often come with the uncomfortable side effects of heat and glare. This forces people to shut their blinds or curtains during the day, disconnecting them from nature and the outdoors. However, by investing in a smart windows, you can cut out the unwanted heat and glare and still enjoy the light and views. By avoiding blinds and shutters and letting in optimized light, you’ll be surprised by how much your productivity can improve. According to a study conducted by Cornell Professor Dr. Alan Hedge, workers in office environments with smart windows reported a 51 percent drop in the incidence of eyestrain and a 63 percent drop in the incidence of headaches, both of which can detract from productivity. If you don’t have smart windows yet – or worse – have no windows at all in your office, be sure to frequently step outside and enjoy some sunshine. You will return to work better for it.
2. Stay hydrated during the day: - Drinking plenty of water during the day will help you keep cool and refreshed through the evening. We all know, that coffee or soda can seem so much more delicious; however, caffeine can dehydrate you and further cause sleep disturbances, so be sure to consume them wisely.
3. Exercise Comfortably, even in the heat: - Just because it’s hot outside doesn’t mean you have to stop exercising. Try some different activities like water sports, swimming, or indoor boot camps to avoid the sun when it is the strongest. This will not only keep you healthy, but also improve your efficiency for the day.
Midsummer is a great time to focus on improving your health and happiness by getting closer to nature and celebrate the energy of summer. How are you going to take the advantage of the extra hours of light this year?
Featured Image by: Paul Townsend via Flickr