Reduce Glare in Offices with 3M™ Window Films

Glare. It’s something most of us have dealt with at one time or another. From driving down the road late at night to working on your laptop in a sunlit room–the effects of glare are unpleasant and frustrating.

But, did you know that glare also impedes workplace productivity?

While many often think of carpal-tunnel syndrome as the leading complaint expressed by employees, research demonstrates that vision-led problems like glare take the top spot. In fact, vision-related problems are reported by 61 to 80 percent of those who work on computers for 6 or more hours a day.

In today’s blog, we’ll be looking at why glare happens, how it affects workplace productivity, and the number one way. 

What is glare? Why does it occur?

Glare is defined by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) as “visual conditions in which there is excessive contrast or inappropriate distribution of light sources that disturb the observer or limits their ability to distinguish details and objects.”

Simply put, glare is the result of too much light entering the eye. It occurs when there is a stark contrast between the bright light and the average light of an area.

Glare can occur day or night and in a multitude of ways. In fact, there are four recognized types of glare: distracting glare, discomforting glare, disabling glare, and blinding glare.

• Distracting glare: the result of light being reflected as it moves from one optical medium to another. This type of glare is often experienced at night in the form of “halos” around headlights or streetlights.
• Discomforting glare: results from direct or reflected glare. It can be caused by bright sunlight and occurs in varying degrees of intensity. However, even in its mildest degrees, it causes discomfort.
• Disabling glare: Also known as veiling glare, disabling glare is more intense than the previously mentioned types of glare. It results from excessive, intense light, like when we are directly facing the sun. Disabling glare may inhibit or even block vision.
• Blinding glare: results from light reflecting off smooth, shiny surfaces like water, sand and snow. Blinding glare can be strong enough to block vision and in severe cases may even cause long-term vision disorders.

How glare affects workplace productivity

Whether your office has floor-to-ceiling windows or a fixed window, chances are your employees have experienced glare.

Glare can leave your employees feeling frustrated, less productive, achy, and burnt out from dealing with this circumstance every morning. It can also leave them feeling fatigued with headaches from the added strain on their eyes.

Lighting Ergonomics

Perhaps your office is already concerned with encouraging proper ergonomics for your employees. Sitting properly while doing your deskwork is a common topic of concern for employee health in office settings, but why aren’t we talking about this “glaring” issue?

Window glare is an aspect of ergonomics that is often forgotten. Yet, lighting ergonomics is vital in maintaining an effective workplace and happy employees. Some common problems that your employees may experience as a result of glare include:

• Fatigue from prolonged eye strain
• Headaches
• Blurred vision
• Irritation
• Dry mouth
• Neck and shoulder strain from the improper head position as workers tend to lean forward or backward to reduce the glare

When it comes to projects and employee performance, glare is often overlooked simply because it’s so commonplace. However, managing glare is essential to keeping your people happy, engaged, and performing optimally.

The Undeniable Research

Glare can be incredibly distracting, causing employees to lose focus on daily assignments. Did you know that when we become interrupted, it takes at least 25 minutes to get back on track? This is a lot of time that could otherwise be spent on workplace projects.

In addition to distraction, employers may also experience increased absenteeism, lack of motivation, and decreased job satisfaction from employees who experience glare.

As demonstrated by the above research, it’s evident that window glare isn’t just a problem, it’s pervasive. We lose valuable time, and valuable people, when we don’t adjust our environments to our surroundings.

No One Size Fits All Fix

When we begin to search for viable solutions, we must consider not just the environment around us, but the real, human factors that play into the problem at hand.

One possible solution is for offices to install blinds or close curtains. While this may seem like a good idea, the truth is that our brains operate better when we have nature and natural light to surround ourselves with. In fact, reducing glare by blocking out natural light further distracts employees, causing less productivity and more discomfort.

Studies show that while reducing glare does in fact help people maintain proper focus and enhance productivity, doing so by blocking their view actually hinders their working capabilities.

Our attention is a limited resource and replenishing it can be difficult. When we spend time being distracted, like when window glare gets in our way, our attention becomes drained. However, according to research, looking at scenic views and nature helps to boost our cognitive functioning and restore our attention.

Studies show that when individuals are exposed to natural light and scenic views, their attention increases, and stress decreases. Thus, it is imperative for your office to find the right balance of light while reducing glare.

That’s where Convenience Group comes in. With our 3M™ Window Film, your employees can see clearly and focus on the task at hand, without losing their productivity, or vision, in the process.

What are 3M™ Window Films?

Simply put, 3M™ Window Films are the answer your employees have been searching for. While they’ve been busy wishing for blinds, shielding their eyes, and trying to position plants on their desk to block the sun, Convenience Group has been busy searching for solutions to this glaring problem.

Our 3M™ Window Films offer protection for your sun-lit room, without destroying your view of nature or obstructing your vision. Our films have anti-glare properties to reduce glare significantly, whether you’re at home or in the office. Our solution will help you work, relax, and enjoy your day without losing your view. You can say goodbye to eyestrain from excessive light!

When you have Convenience Group’s 3M™ Window Films, there’s no need to close the blinds or spend time looking for a new place to work. Your employees can enjoy their desk work without having to move and hide from the sun. Convenience Group’s 3M™ Window Films, allow you to let the sun back into your homes and offices, without facing its undesirable side effects.

The Convenience Group Difference

Most window films tend to act more like mirrors than dimmers. They impact the clarity of your view to reduce reflectivity, meaning you won’t have as clear a picture when you look outside your space. With our 3M™ Prestige Series, Convenience Group can help you reduce the glare from your windows without losing the picture-perfect background.

If you find your home or office tends to get a bit too warm in the summer months, Convenience Group has a fix for that too. The 3M™ Prestige Series protects you and your home from up to 97% of the sun’s rays, keeping your home cooler and your energy bills lower.

You might be wondering how any of this is possible. How can Convenience Group provide unparalleled protection for your eyes against glare? It wasn’t easy.

To provide you with a crystal-clear view without obstructing your vision, 3M™ worked alongside a team of world-leading nanotechnologists. Together they created the 3M™ Prestige Series. A superior window film with hundreds of layers that reduce that pesky glare while still being thin enough to provide you with the clear view we know you want to keep.

So, if you’re curiosity is peaked by how you can accommodate your home and office to reduce glare, here’s how Convenience Group can help you. 

3M™ Commercial Window Film Solutions

While commercial window installations certainly are popular to help employees see better while at work, they aren’t the only reason you might want to consider adding Convenience Group's 3M™ technology to your building. Energy savings, temperature control, and privacy are just some of the reasons why Convenience Group is chosen to enhance buildings across Canada and beyond.

With classic and decorative options available, you can add 3M™’s sleek technology to your commercial building with stealth or with style. 3M™ is well recognized around the world as an effective, innovative solution. Our team of Certified Dealers and Applicators have been representing 3M™ for a long time, some of them for over 20 years.

Besides our dedicated professional team, our warranty provides you with the peace of mind you need to know that here at Convenience Group, we have you covered. Our nationwide team and project management will provide you with clear, concise, and effective communication to help ensure that your installation runs smoothly.

3M™ Residential Solutions for glare

3M™ Window Films not only improve your office space and employee productivity... They can improve your home too!

The comfort and privacy you experience in your home is non-negotiable. That’s why Convenience Group provides you with residential solutions for glare. Our shatterproof features and UV protection will keep your windows safe and prolong the life of your furniture, carpets, and floors, without sacrificing the natural light you love.

When it comes to your home improvements, you need a name you can rely on. With over 40 years of expert work behind them, 3M™ is the premier choice to trust. By reducing excessive glare and heat, you can reduce energy costs and keep the UV rays outside where they belong. With 3M™, your home will become more energy efficient, secluded, temperature controlled, and glare-free.

Convenience Group: Canada’s premier choice for architectural + window film solutions

As an authorized and experienced 3M™ dealer, we supply a wide range of solutions for commercial, residential, and design projects that seek to reduce glare on their windows without compromising natural light. For over 40 years, we’ve been servicing Canada’s architects and designers with innovative products, comprehensive technology, and leading-edge solutions.

Our consulting, installation and project management services provide you with a full-service experience, meaning that when you choose Convenience Group, you can sit back, relax, and trust that your project is in good hands.

All of our window film solutions include bird collision deterrent systems, architectural finishes, privacy design, as well as glare and fade control. We’re proud to work with exceptional partners and clients who are leading the way toward change when it comes to an intuitive design.

So, let’s throw away the old paradigm of sitting uncomfortably at the sunny desk, trying to block the light from your workspace and struggling to stay on task. With Convenience Group’s 3M™ Window Film Technology, your home and office will be private, safe and comfortable.

From installation to the long-term care of your window films, Convenience Group is here to support you. To learn more about who we are, what we do, and the solutions we provide, you can visit our Knowledge Centre and equip yourself with confidence.

Our team of experienced professionals is happy to help you at any time with your questions, comments and concerns. Contact Convenience Group today and we’ll be happy to help with your window solutions.