Would a cool workplace tempt you to brave the commute

This week I’ve been hearing a lot about the workplace what does it need to offer to tempt us back from the comfort and flexibility of home – or cafe – working?

This report by PWC points out the tension between employer and employee expectations of the workplace in the new ‘hybrid’ normal – How and where people work underwent huge changes — could flexible office space see an increase in demand? 

The exponential growth of the number of buildings around the world applying for WELL certification – a notoriously expensive and time-consuming process – suggests that many developers believe that investing in ‘healthy building’ status will pay off – Launch of WELL Performance Rating Signals Future of Smart, Healthy Buildings

Employer branding is good for the bottom line… Here are some powerful stats that show that taking care of your people really adds up… – 29 Employer Branding Statistics Your Company Must Know. And this article gives a breakdown of the 16 employer brand attributes that count. You won’t be surprised that I think that investing in lighting can help you go beyond ticking the box on many of these and show that your organisation actually walks the walk… – The 16 Employer Brand Attributes

You may be surprised to know that lighting can even help with posture as this paper explains… – Lighting and Task Parameters Affecting Posture, Performance and Subjective Ratings

One question I am often asked is whether the increased light levels in the new workplace standard EN12464-1 runs counter to the need to cut energy use. My response is always to take a look at the controls – If you use light when you need it – and dim or switch off when you don’t (including daylight balancing) you can make a little go a long way – and reduce light pollution too. This article explains the basics. – Ergonomic and Economic Office Light Level Control

And finally, a couple of trivial pursuits snippets,,,

LED lights in your fridge could be spoiling your food! Here is one minute, ten seconds of trivia – This trendy new feature in refrigerators could be spoiling your food faster

and 10 facts to brighten your day – or bore your friends! – 10 Facts About Light to Brighten your Day