Artificial light impacts on the health of your employees
Today’s workplaces are often awash with blue-based LED lighting, chosen for efficiency but lacking the biological benefits of red and infrared wavelengths. This imbalance combined with uncontrolled glare can contribute to headaches, fatigue, and eye strain.
The gloomy ‘cave effect’
Worse still, many open-plan offices suffer from low vertical illuminance, creating a gloomy ‘cave effect’ that affects mood and productivity.
Increased employee sickness
Studies have shown that poor spectral quality and uncomfortable visual environments disrupt circadian regulation and lower employee satisfaction, even increasing sickness rates in some environments.
Artificial light impacts on employee health and how they deal with fatigue – critical for high risk environments
Natural light, when it’s available, can be part of the solution but only when carefully balanced with artificial sources. Desks awkwardly placed near windows or directly facing screens can create harsh contrasts and screen glare, compounding discomfort. New research into workplace employee wellness increasingly points to the need for more thoughtful lighting design that supports health, not just visibility. If your office lighting leaves your team squinting, tired, or calling in sick, it might be time to take a closer look.
Feeling in the dark? Let’s brighten things up beautifully and sensibly.
Corporate lighting assessments
A well-lit workplace is not just about visibility, it’s about vitality. Our corporate lighting assessments evaluate your offices, workspaces, or retail environments with one goal in mind: enhancing health, wellbeing, and productivity. From pinpointing sources of glare and insufficient vertical illuminance to identifying areas with poor daylight integration, we look at how your lighting currently performs and what could be done better. Whether it’s a subtle rebalancing of what’s already there or the introduction of entirely new layers of light, we’ll help you achieve an atmosphere your staff can thrive in, not just tolerate.
One of our specialisms is introducing spectrally balanced lighting, including red and near-infrared light. These wavelengths support mitochondrial function, your cells’ energy engines, promoting physical and mental resilience. When workplaces are flooded with blue-enriched LED light and starved of natural daylight, this can take a toll on everything from sleep patterns to immune response. Our assessments deliver practical, evidence-based improvements to bring your lighting in line with how humans are actually built to function.
Book a survey and let us show you how to light for life, not just for tasks.
Improving Health of Employees
Spectrally specific lighting
Lighting does far more than help people see, it helps them function. Spectrally specific lighting, when used intelligently, can support circadian rhythms, improve sleep quality, and enhance cellular health.
Poorly designed lighting
Poorly designed lighting that leans heavily on blue-enriched LEDs with no red or infrared content can disrupt these biological systems, leading to headaches, fatigue, and absenteeism.
Lighting should work with the human body
If your team are consistently run down, irritable, or calling in sick, there’s a good chance your interior environment is part of the problem, not the people. Lighting should work with the human body, not against it.
We’ve helped global brands like NIKE, Michael Kors, and Kate Spade tackle precisely these issues in their offices and stores. Through our targeted assessments, we uncovered the root causes and implemented smart, actionable changes to their lighting strategies, no gimmicks, just biology-led design. A healthier team is a happier, more productive team, and the right light is a crucial step in getting there.
Let us help your workplace feel better, because when your people thrive, so does your business.
Light exposure within the Workplace
Natural daylight is the original, and still the best, light source for human health. Our bodies rely on morning light, ideally experienced around two hours after sunrise, to anchor our circadian rhythm and regulate everything from hormone production to energy levels. Yet modern work schedules and building design often deny employees this vital exposure, particularly during the Northern hemispheres darker winter months. Encouraging time outdoors during the working day, even for just 30 minutes, can have a profound effect on sleep quality, mood, and immune function. Meetings in courtyards, walking catchups, or glass-roofed spaces (provided they allow full-spectrum light, not infrared-stripped modern glazing) can all contribute meaningfully to wellbeing.
Forward-thinking businesses are even introducing covered outdoor pods with infrared heaters, not just to keep staff warm, but to reintroduce the critical red and infrared wavelengths that most indoor environments lack. Unfortunately, many contemporary glazing systems filter out precisely the wavelengths we need most, and blue-enriched LED light passing through them only compounds the issue. The industry is finally recognising that energy efficiency must go hand in hand with human biology. Until building regulations catch up, employers can make a real difference by promoting exposure to full-spectrum light in the most natural way possible: by getting staff outside.
Want to build a culture of light-driven employee wellbeing? Start by stepping outside.
The Research
Measuring and using light in the melanopsin age Robert J. Lucas, Stuart N. Peirson, David M. Berson, Timothy M. Brown, Howard M. Cooper, Charles A. Czeisler, Mariana G. Figueiro, Paul D. Gamlin, Steven W. Lockley, John B. O’Hagan, Luke L.A. Price, Ignacio Provencio, Debra J. Skene, and George C.Brainard
Light is a potent stimulus for regulating circadian, hormonal, and behavioral systems. In addition, light therapy is effective for certain affective disorders, sleep problems, and circadian rhythm disruption. These biological and behavioral effects of light are influenced by a distinct photoreceptor in the eye, melanopsin containing intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), in addition to conventional rods and cones. We summarize the neurophysiology of this newly described sensory pathway and consider implications for the measurement, production, and application of light. A new light-measurement strategy taking account of the complex photoreceptive inputs to these non-visual responses is proposed for use by researchers, and simple suggestions for artificial/ architectural lighting are provided for regulatory authorities, lighting manufacturers, designers, and engineers.
Circadian Adaptive Lighting Deborah Burnett, ASID, CMG, LGC, AASM
For decades, both the installation and operating costs associated with electric lighting systems has been considered an ongoing monetary expense when it comes to ROI. Accounting for up to 22%1 of yearly business expense, rising energy costs are driving the growing acceptance of modern building science solutions which employ electronic lighting sources and daylighting technologies for the purpose of reducing ongoing operating costs. However the shift towards energy efficient lighting practices can only be thought of as a first step towards reducing ongoing business related costs. A lighting strategy which has the potential to reduce healthcare premiums and related healthcare burden will be a paradigm shift with direct financial benefit. In 2011, the Kaiser Family Foundation report calculated the average business contribution for family health care premiums alone to be $10,944.00 per employee per year. Recognized as Circadian Adaptive Lighting this new lighting strategy has the potential for creating a health promoting built environment while fostering lean bottom line yearly expense. In the coming years ahead, the effectiveness of this strategy will be evident in three areas: a.) measurable enhanced sleep efficiencies, now recognized as instrumental in health promotion, preventing disease and major contributor in the healing process, b.) measurable lower allostatic load index scores, a biomarker and non- invasive health assessment used to determine physiological dysregulation in the workplace now also recognized as an indicator of disease trajectories2, 3.) and for business owners, an overall reduction of expense line items including: employer health care premiums, costs associated with medical and employee errors, and the escalating costs associated with workplace accidents and fatalities especially among shift work populations. A lighting strategy which is supportive of the human need for both ambient light and darkness levels suitably designed to impact the human circadian system will be the way forward in transferring lighting costs from a line item expense to a valued investment asset.
Quantified benefits of Human Centric Lighting A.T. Kearney
- Human Centric Lighting is the inclusion of visual and non-visual (biological) needs of humans in the design of lighting applications.
- Our project aimed at delivering arguments for the use of human centric lighting from a customer perspective and simulated segment-specific economic benefits on micro and macro level.
- On the micro level (perspective of individual investors, e.g. facility owners):
- Most significant quantified benefits are realized in industrial segments due to the dominant impact of productivity increases
- Medical and elderly care segments show less attractive quantified benefits, as most savings cannot be realized by the investor, but by other stakeholders, e.g. insurance companies
- On the macro level (perspective of the general public, e.g. health insurances):
- Macro level simulations yield Human Centric Lighting effects for Europe in 2020 of up to € 0.87 bn assuming a realistic market penetration1 and € 12.8 bn if the 2020 lighting market was fully penetrated by Human Centric Lighting
- In most segments, benefits for owners and investors dominate
- However, additional social and public benefits can also justify Human Centric Lighting markups
Effect of home-based light treatment on persons with dementia and their caregivers PD Sloane MD MPH, M Figueiro PhD, S Garg MD PhD, LW Cohen MA, D Reed PhD, CS Williams PhD, J Preisser PhD and S Zimmerman PhD Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA Lighting Research Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Sleep disorders are problematic for persons with dementia and their family caregivers. This randomized controlled trial with crossover evaluated the effects of an innovative blue-white light therapy on 17 pairs of home-dwelling persons with dementia and their caregivers. Subjects with dementia received blue-white light and control (‘red-yellow’ light) for six weeks separated by a four-week washout. Neither actigraphic nor most self-reported sleep measures significantly differed for subjects with dementia. For caregivers, both sleep and role strain improved. No evidence of retinal light toxicity was observed. Six weeks of modest doses of blue- white light appear to improve sleep in caregivers but not in persons with dementia. Greater or prolonged circadian stimulation may be needed to determine if light is an effective treatment for persons with dementia.
Light Therapy and Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia: Past, Present, and Future Nicholas Hanforda, Mariana Figueiro
Sleep disturbances are common in persons with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia (ADRD), resulting in a negative impact on the daytime function of the affected person and on the wellbeing of caregivers. The sleep/wake pattern is directly driven by the timing signals generated by a circadian pacemaker, which may or may not be perfectly functioning in those with ADRD. A 24-hour light/dark pattern incident on the retina is the most efficacious stimulus for entraining the circadian system to the solar day. In fact, a carefully orchestrated light/dark pattern has been shown in several controlled studies of older populations, with and without ADRD, to be a powerful non-pharmacological tool to improve sleep efficiency and consolidation. Discussed here are research results from studies looking at the effectiveness of light therapy in improving sleep, depression, and agitation in older adults with ADRD. A 24-hour lighting scheme to increase circadian entrainment, improve visibility, and reduce the risk of falls in those with ADRD is proposed, and future research needs are discussed.
Sleep Deprivation in Critical Illness: Its Role in Physical and Psychological Recovery Biren B. Kamdar, MD, MBA, Dale M. Needha,, MD, PhD, and Nancy A. Collop, MD
Critically ill patients frequently experience poor sleep, charactersized by frequent disruptions, loss of circadian rhytems, and a paucity of times spent in restorative sleep stages. Factors that are associated with sleep disruption in the intensive are unit (ICU) include patient-ventilator dysynchrony, medications, patient care interactions, and environmental noise and light. As the field of critical care increasingly focuses on patients’ physical and psychological outcomes following critical illness, understanding the potential contribution of ICU-related sleep disruptions on patient recovery is an important area of investigation. This review article summarizes the literature regarding sleep a architecture and measurement in the critically ill, causes of ICU sleep fragmentation, and potential implications of ICU-related sleep disruption on patient’s recovery from critical illness. With this background information, strategies to optimize sleep in the ICU are also discussed,
Melanopsin Ganglion Cells: A Bit of Fly in the Mammalian Eye Dustin M. Graham
For the greater part of 150 years it was assumed that the mammalian retina contained only two types of photoreceptors; rods and cones. However, a flurry of recent evidence has demonstrated the existence of a third type of mammalian photoreceptor that differs greatly from rods and cones. This type utilizes a different photopigment, is much less sensitive to light, and has far less spatical resolution; characteristics that fit perfectly with this photoreceptor’s primary function if signaling changes in ambient light levels to the brain throughout the day. Most surprisingly, these photoreceptors are ganglion cells, and thus, have the uniwue ability to communicate directly with the brain. These intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) are a rate sub-population of ganglion cells (1-3%) whose primary role is to signal light for unconscious visual reflexes, such as pupillary constriction, and regulating a number of daily behavioral and physiological rhythms, collectively called circadian rhythms. This latter process, which adjusts circadian rhythms to the light/dark cycle of an animal’s environment, is known as photoentrainment. The visual behaviors under ipRGC control are remarkably tonic, and require long integration times of ambient light levels. The unique properties of ipRGCs, both functionally and anatomically, make them well suited for regulating such behaviors.
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Spectrally specific circadian lighting
True circadian lighting isn’t just about dimming down or shifting from cool to warm white, it’s about precision. Spectrally specific lighting delivers carefully tuned wavelengths at the right intensities throughout the day to properly support biological processes like hormone regulation, body temperature, and alertness. This is especially vital in environments where outdoor light exposure is limited, such as hospitals, care homes, and workplaces with shift patterns. If artificial lighting is the only source of circadian entrainment, it needs to do more than just look nice, it needs to work biologically.
Many lighting systems on the market today are marketed as “circadian-friendly,” but most fall short of providing the full spectral support our bodies require. Often, they improve psychological perception, making a space feel pleasant, but fail to influence physiology in a meaningful way. That’s where our independence becomes your advantage. We’re not tied to any manufacturer, so we specify only what meets your real needs, lighting that genuinely supports sleep, wellbeing, and long-term health.
Ready to bring precision lighting into your workplace? Let’s talk spectrum, not sales pitches.
Working from Home
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Home working may be here to stay
Home working may be here to stay, but let’s face it, your kitchen counter or spare room wasn’t exactly designed for eight hours of screen time. Many home workspaces are visually comfortable for relaxation but entirely unsuited to the visual demands of concentrated work.
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Too much daylight
Too much daylight, too little, the wrong kind of artificial light, awkward seating, or simply a cramped layout all contributes to headaches, eye strain, and reduced productivity. Add in the temptation to stay in one spot for too long, and suddenly home working becomes less about freedom and more about fatigue.
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Good news
The good news is that a few simple tweaks can transform your space. We can help you create a healthier, more effective working environment without turning your living room into a corporate cubicle.
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The right balance
From standalone lighting solutions that support circadian rhythms to clever layout adjustments that protect your vision and posture, we’ll help you strike the right balance between home comfort and work functionality.
Love working from home again, with lighting that works as hard as you do.
Frequently Asked Questions – Corporate Wellness
How does exposure to natural daylight influence employees’ circadian rhythms, productivity, and overall wellbeing in office environments?
Exposure to daylight, particularly during the morning hours, entrains the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the body’s master clock, helping to stabilise sleep/wake cycles and synchronise hormone release such as cortisol and melatonin. Studies show that offices with ample daylight achieve up to a 15 per cent increase in self-reported productivity and a 20 per cent reduction in eyestrain and headaches among occupants. Furthermore, access to views and daylight correlates with enhanced mood, reduced stress levels, and lower rates of absenteeism over the long term.
In healthcare facilities, how does lighting design, both daylight integration and artificial light, affect patient recovery rates and staff fatigue levels?
Daylit patient rooms have been shown to reduce postoperative stays by up to 22 per cent and diminish analgesic use, owing to improved mood and lowered stress hormone levels. For staff, dynamic lighting that mimics the solar progression can reduce fatigue and error rates in 24-hour clinical operations; for example, cooler correlated colour temperatures (CCT ≈ 5000 K) during daytime shifts and warmer CCT (≈ 2200 K) towards the evening help maintain alertness when required and promote restorative sleep off-duty.
What role does light spectrum (e.g. blue-enriched versus full-spectrum lighting) play in mitochondrial function and long-term health outcomes for employees?
Exposure to daylight, particularly during the morning h – Blue-enriched light (λ = 460 – 480 nm) activates intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), promoting circadian alignment but, in excess, especially during evening hours, can induce mitochondrial oxidative stress and impair ATP synthesis. In contrast, full-spectrum sources that more closely emulate sunlight provide a balanced spectral distribution, including beneficial infrared (IR) wavelengths (700–1000 nm) that support mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase activity, potentially enhancing cellular resilience and reducing chronic inflammation.
What are the health implications of prolonged exposure to suboptimal or poorly designed artificial lighting and how can these be mitigated?
Inadequate illuminance levels, flicker or spectral peaks in artificial lighting can exacerbate visual fatigue, trigger headaches, and disrupt circadian entrainment, potentially leading to chronic sleep disorders. Retail spaces can mitigate these effects by specifying high-frequency electronic ballasts and flicker-free drivers, employing higher colour rendering index (CRI ≥ 90) sources to reduce spectral gaps, and incorporating circadian-supportive dynamic lighting (e.g. cooler, blue-enriched light during the morning transitioning to warmer red enriched tones later in the day).
Which quantitative and qualitative metrics should organisations monitor to assess the effectiveness of lighting interventions on employee wellness and engagement?
Quantitative metrics include measured vertical illuminance at eye level, circadian stimulus (CS) or melanopic lux values, incidence of absenteeism, error rate statistics, and biometric data (e.g. heart rate variability, sleep tracking). Qualitative feedback can be gathered via staff surveys focusing on visual comfort, perceived stress, and mood scales (e.g. PANAS), alongside structured post-occupancy evaluations and lighting defect logs. Issuing staff with wearables may also allow for a greater understanding of outcomes and demonstrate improvements in a tangible way.
How can integrated approaches combining daylight harvesting, glare control, and adaptive artificial lighting be implemented across diverse interior settings (offices, retail, healthcare, homes) to promote ecological sustainability alongside human health?
An integrated strategy might employ automated shading systems and photocells to balance natural and artificial light, minimising artificial output when daylight suffices; incorporate luminaires with low flicker and high CRI; and leverage user centric controls such as smartphone apps or wall-mounted interfaces to allow personal autonomy within predefined healthy parameters. Utilising occupants’ behavioural data and building analytics can further optimise schedules, reduce carbon footprints, and ensure that sustainability goals align with occupant health and comfort.
Which international standards and guidelines (e.g., CIBSE, WELL Building Standard) should organisations reference to ensure optimal lighting for human health and comfort?
Key references include:
- CIBSE SLL Code for Lighting (Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers), which prescribes illuminance, uniformity, and glare limits for various task environments.
- WELL Building Standard, which mandates circadian lighting design strategies with specific vertical illuminance thresholds for daytime exposure using melanopic lux.
- EN 12464-1 (European Standard) for workplace lighting, addressing colour rendering, flicker, and glare control.
- IES DG-21–19 Circadian recommendations by the Illuminating Engineering Society, specifying spectral and temporal metrics to support human health.
How do dynamic or tuneable LED lighting systems contribute to enhanced cognitive performance, mood regulation, and sleep quality among office workers?
Tuneable systems allow modulation of spectral output and intensity across the workday, delivering blue-enriched light (CCT = 5000 – 6500 K) in the morning to bolster alertness and cognitive throughput, then shifting towards warmer spectra (CCT ≈ 2200 – 3000 K) in the afternoon to prepare for the transition to rest. Empirical trials have demonstrated up to a 12 per cent improvement in sustained attention tasks and a 30 per cent decrease in subjective stress markers when such lighting measures are implemented.
How can small businesses and remote workers optimise lighting strategies within home offices to support circadian alignment, reduce eye strain, and improve long-term health?
Remote professionals should position their workspace to capture as much northern or southern-facing daylight as possible, combining this with a desk lamp featuring a high CRI/CCT, flicker-free LED module adjustable in both intensity and CCT which also includes an IR component. Implementing software reminders or automated controls to increase light levels in the morning and decrease in the late afternoon helps maintain a healthy diurnal rhythm, while the use of supplementary lighting behind screens can minimise contrast induced eye strain. Going outside for at least 30 minutes each day in sunlight is always advisable.
What cost-benefit considerations and return-on-investment factors should corporate decision-makers evaluate when investing in circadian aligned lighting solutions?
Decision-makers should weigh upfront capital costs against projected gains such as reduced absenteeism (commonly 2–5 per cent savings in salary costs), increased productivity (often 10–15 per cent uplift), and energy savings from daylight harvesting and efficient LED operation. Payback periods for integrated daylight utilising LED systems typically range from 3 to 6 years, depending on local energy tariffs and maintenance overheads.
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