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The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

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Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#261

Post by dijit »

ryandrake wrote: post #259
dijit wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm with you, it's like my brain turns off when I'm there, no amount of noise-cancelling headphones can stop me noticing movements in my periphery or the feeling of possible immediate jarring interruptions if I have my back to the room. I get all my day-work done in the evening, when I'm in the office I just browse reddit or read HN because; unless I'm in a meeting or talking to a colleague- I cannot possibly be prod…

People have different priorities. Having worked in both environments, if I had to choose between a private windowless cave with no sunlight and an open bullpen fishbowl with ample natural light, I’m picking the fishbowl every time. You can wear headphones to block out the noise, but it doesn’t work to just hang a picture of the sun on your wall.

I think this entire thread boils down to choice.

I don't have an option, the fishbowl is thrust on me and has been for many years over many jobs.

Similarly; I actually prefer the dark, but were I in a situation where I walked into a dark room in the middle of a building- I would probably not like it.

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#262

Post by TechieKid »

wooshy wrote: post #134
gambiting wrote: post #71

Oh yes please. I work as a games programmer at a massive studio and it looks like 90% of people here prefer complete darkness during the day, to the point where they have these umbrella-like covers above their desks to cover any light from the lamps that somehow miraculously are still on. Me and few other people occupy a little corner next to a window that we stubbornly refuse to close the blinds on, despite bi-weekl…

I'm not a game dev, but a dev in a different industry and I am like your coworkers. I yearn for an office with no light but I am stuck in this awful open office with tons of light everywhere. My coworkers refuse to close the blinds and my desk looks right at the window. I hate it.

Why don't you exchange cubes with one of your colleagues who values natural light more?

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#263

Post by PascLeRasc »

leesec wrote: post #258
jdavis703 wrote: post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I don't get enough sun I fall in to depression. It's why I moved to California -- every winter I'd get really down; I'd self diagnosed as having seasonal affective disorder. Since being in California for five winters this hasn't happened yet. I also spent a summer working in a windowless office while my company was preparing for a classified DoD project (we lost the bid, but one of the requirements was "no windows…

You're probably well aware of this, but Vitamin D supplements have been life changing for me. There was an article a while back pleading to the FDA to fix the recommended daily limit, suggesting it might be 10x too low. I take 10,000 IU a day and the difference is very noticeable.

I get pretty significant SAD and 5000 IUs of Vitamin D helps a lot, but it's not enough for me. I'm planning to move to somewhere else in a year or two, maybe Seattle.

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#264

Post by danbolt »

gambiting wrote: post #71

Oh yes please. I work as a games programmer at a massive studio and it looks like 90% of people here prefer complete darkness during the day, to the point where they have these umbrella-like covers above their desks to cover any light from the lamps that somehow miraculously are still on. Me and few other people occupy a little corner next to a window that we stubbornly refuse to close the blinds on, despite bi-weekl…

At the last game studio I worked at the artists formed a “no windows or florescent lights” room full of dimmed lamps and Wacom monitors on the lowest brightness. Deep down I wish I could have had that and strolled into the coffee room for sunlight every hour.

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#265

Post by kisstheblade »

Haha, where I live we have no natural light even outside half of the year (near the arctic circle). And we are most productive during the dark season because there isn't anything else to do, or any distractions nagging on your mind (like going to the beach etc) :)

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#266

Post by jedberg »

Every place I worked, I optimized for a window seat. I would volunteer to sit next to the loudest and stinkiest people if that's what it took, because those things didn't bother me (noise cancelling headphones and my nose doesn't really work anyway). I would sit far away from all the other amenities, or close to them, whichever was worse, just to get a window.

Somehow I got really lucky, and in 16 years of working in offices, I spent about 12 of them near a window (thanks in part to large suburban offices of Silicon Valley that offered lots of window seats). And for the most part I didn't have to deal with loud or stinky people or being far/close to other amenities.

Now I work from home, where I can see trees out my window. Sadly, Apple cut some of them down to make room for the offramp to their spaceship, so now I also see lights and power lines, but still tree too.

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#267

Post by TomK32 »

jedberg wrote: post #266

Every place I worked, I optimized for a window seat. I would volunteer to sit next to the loudest and stinkiest people if that's what it took, because those things didn't bother me (noise cancelling headphones and my nose doesn't really work anyway). I would sit far away from all the other amenities, or close to them, whichever was worse, just to get a window. Somehow I got really lucky, and in 16 years of working in…

Time to put some apple seeds in the ground :)

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#268

Post by PascLeRasc »

TheCapn wrote: post #195

My personal experience/preference is merely that a "change of scenery" is a highly favorable perk. I have a private office with a window, and after struggling against code for long enough it is so nice to turn my gaze outside and watch the dog park next door. But I say scenery change, because one of my favorite things about my job is that I work off site frequently at industrial plants, agricultural facilities and th…

There was a tweet going around yesterday with around 500k likes about how we all secretly love to rearrange our rooms to get a "new me" feeling. I think a constant change of scenery is really important for us to not get stuck in negative mindsets.

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#269

Post by PascLeRasc »

ehnto wrote: post #100
another-cuppa wrote: post #88

I think some comments are missing the point. I used to work in an office that definitely had "natural light" because it did have windows, but the view from the windows was basically just other grey buildings about 10 metres away. I now work in an office where I can look out and see grass, trees, and the sky, and it's much nicer.

Trees and greenery in general take a space from "concrete wasteland" to "human living space" for me. I have no idea why we build plazas as big concrete slabs. Who thought that was what people wanted? Who has every thought to themselves, gee, I sure wish there was more flat concrete to look at.

Skateboarders do, but then we can't even use the space because of hostile design.

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#270

Post by PascLeRasc »

adiusmus wrote: post #39

Not a perk. I fired an employer for failing to provide natural sunlight for a reasonable amount of time throughout the day. I’ve also rejected offers involving lack of sunlight. One place adjusted to this requirement quite well. Apparently I was the first candidate to even bring this up when I asked about the working environment. The cost to my health is measurable.

You're my hero. I'd like to hear about what else you consider essential before hiring an employer.
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