Now that we are hitting winter hours and get even less sunlight…it’s time to light it up! Employees who work in buildings without windows or in cubicles in the middle of a floor are susceptible to light deprivation disorder (LDD). Study after study has shown the benefit of increasing employee’s exposure to sunlight and non-fluorescent lighting. LDD symptoms can include insomnia, napping, depression, and lethargy. Even a corner office is still unlikely to get the 2,500 lux (the level of light the sun emits during daytime hours) that your body needs to be fully functional.
For more information about LDD or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), go to www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/seasonalaffectivedisorder.html andwww.lighttherapyproducts.com/articles.html. To learn how you can improve lighting at a computer workstation, click on www.nih.gov/od/ors/ds/ergonomics/lighting.html.
Don Phin, Esq. is VP of Strategic Business Solutions at ThinkHR, which helps companies resolve urgent workforce issues, mitigate risk and ensure HR compliance. Phin has more than three decades of experience as an HR expert, published author and speaker, and spent 17 years in employment practices litigation. For more information, visit www.ThinkHR.com.
