Live data from Hacker News

The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

hbr.org

41–50 of 348 posts

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#41
post #32

Is this really considered a perk? It is a bit like getting paid is a perk. I work in Germany where direct access to natural sunlight is part of our OH&S policies.

I’ve worked in an office without windows, really takes a toll on you.

Yep, I've never worked in a room with windows. It leads to what I call coal miner syndrome: go in before the sun rises, leave after it sets. Bums me out, particularly during the winter. :(

Luckily, where I work now, we're getting a new office, and when the manager presented the plans, one of the first questions was, "Who gets the window seats!?"

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#42
At some point I the worst of both worlds — a desk directly underneath a corner frosted glass skylight/window combination, meaning impossibly bright light in the early afternoon (making my display quite hard to read), and no effective nearby artificial lighting when it started getting darker. Took me maybe a month to find another job after my boss insisted I couldn't move my desk elsewhere.

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#43
post #7

In some civilized countries natural light is actually a requirement, by law. Not in the server closet etc, but in your office it is. You can, of course, adjust the curtains or whatever to get the exact amount you prefer (which typically changes throughout the day, as the sun passes)

Which countries?

[deleted]

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#45

We just moved into a new office and one of the best things about it is that we now have small offices and I can keep the curtains closed and the lights off all day. Why would you want more light, especially natural light ? I never open my curtains at home either.

^ This: I don't know how people do it, I'm using my computer in the dark at the moment with the screen being projected onto the ceiling. I can't think of another way I would rather use my computer really.

In a work environment? I find it hard to believe you spend 8 hours every day lying on your back staring at the ceiling. If you do, it absolutely can't be healthy.

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#46

Is this really considered a perk? It is a bit like getting paid is a perk. I work in Germany where direct access to natural sunlight is part of our OH&S policies.

I'm sure there are exceptions. What if the worker is in an office handling German classified materials all day?

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#47

Am I the only one here who actually likes it dark? It might be healthier with natural light, but my personal preferences has always been darkness. I wonder if it is related to coming from a northern country (Scandinavia) where ~1/4 of the year is really dark.

As a counter point, I guess, I'm also from there and I don't like dark offices.

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#48
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which countries?

IIRC Germany sort of requires all offices to have direct natural light https://www.thelocal.de/galleries/lifestyle/top-ten-weird-ge...

That list is terrible:

3: pillows may be considered passive weapons but that is irrelevant unless it is used as such or carried in a context where it is likely intended to be used as such (e.g. while participating in a demonstration). That said, assaulting random people in public with a pillow is probably still illegal because it involves assaulting random people (albeit with a weapon that's less likely to cause permanent injuries directly).

5: Both drilling and throwing bottles into containers cause noise pollution. It's not the act itself that's verboten, it's the noise it causes.

6: This is the same thing as 5. The law doesn't give an exhaustive list of activities that might be too damn noisy so I have no idea where these come from.

8: Calling a police officer "du" is a sign of disrespect. If you're new to the language and struggling with the distinction, the police officer will likely correct you or ignore it. Treating police officers disrespectfully is a misdemeanor and addressing them as "du" is one way to be disrespectful.

9: This is a widely held misconception. The "Deutschlandlied" is not illegal. The national anthem only has one verse and that's the third verse of the Deutschlandlied (or actually "Lied der Deutschen"). You can still sing the entire song but if you were going for singing the national anthem, you'll spend two verses singing something that isn't the national anthem. The reason people will still look at you in disgust is the same reason the anthem only uses the third verse: we don't take to jingoism too kindly after WW2.

10: I'm pretty sure it's not a law that you can't drink Export or non-Munich beer at the Oktoberfest, considering the Oktoberfest is in essence just a private event, but it's Bavaria so I'm not sure of this one.

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#49

Is this really considered a perk? It is a bit like getting paid is a perk. I work in Germany where direct access to natural sunlight is part of our OH&S policies.

Depends on who you ask. Just a few days ago there was a comment in a thread about Microsoft requiring its suppliers to offer paid parental leave that called it a "fad benefit".

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#50
post #7

In some civilized countries natural light is actually a requirement, by law. Not in the server closet etc, but in your office it is. You can, of course, adjust the curtains or whatever to get the exact amount you prefer (which typically changes throughout the day, as the sun passes)

Which countries?

In France, natural lighting is also mandatory.

source in French: https://www.senat.fr/questions/base/2012/qSEQ121002524.html

Post reply on HN