We recently moved to a new office and it was almost unanimously, decided to keep the lights off unless it's literally night. Unfortunately, If i turn on my lights, it will turn on the lights for another 12 people so It's tough to reason with everyone.
With the lights off and the blinds almost entirely closed, it's like working in a dungeon/dark basement and it is affecting my eye strain. My eyes experience discomfort almost every day now and I have not had such issues for the past 7 years working in different offices (all with a reasonable light level).
Things I've tried:
- Night mode is constantly on, set to a nice yellow.
- My monitor brightness is down.
- I try to use dark themes for everything I can.
Things I'm considering:
- Getting a desk light.
- Getting a better monitor.
- Asking to move to another floor or spot with more lighting options (last resort).
The layout:
The layout is with big long desks with multiple people sitting on them, so I have people on each side, so light pollution is to be avoided.
All advice is welcome, as It's becoming increasingly difficult to deal with this and I'm not sure what's a good option.
Update #1
I just want to clarify some things as this question has risen in popularity.
- Yes, everybody working in their optimal conditions is great, but lets be real - there will be always someone unhappy, and there's no need to be self-centered about it :)
- I am asking for solutions that do not involve the obvious - better office, better lighting, better location and etc. because I have deemed those options not feasible at this time.
- I have little experience with this issue so lamp suggestions and other general suggestions are great, because they are things I can buy / start doing immediately and regardless of where I am at positioned.
- Due to English not being my mother-tongue, I might have sounded like it's unbearable, but It's still at the medium inconvenience stage and I'm trying to keep take measures to keep it from escalating.
Thanks for all the answers! :)