Potential new workplace - no natural light. Thoughts?

[Rabidturnip]

I have the opportunity to move into a creative field that I love. I have always worked in buildings with lots of windows and natural light. The potential new place has none, think smallish dark workshop type environment. I genuinely don’t know if the lack of natural light will be an issue. Has anyone encountered this, or is anyone working in the same sort of environment? Does it affect you negatively? Any thoughts welcome, thank you.

I turned down a perfect job because there were no windows in the place. So depressing.

I did it for a few months in an otherwise very smart office when I was much younger and vowed never again. Ended up taking a job in a pokey windowless office last year and really disliked it. The lighting was too bright and gave me headaches. Luckily the organisation moved to new premises and now I have a desk next to a window.

Thanks for all your comments and suggestions. It’s a workshop and unlikely to be moving location any time soon. There is no HR team (v small company). I will ask if I can take a SAD light. I don’t suffer with it but I can recognise that the lack of natural daylight may well have a significant impact on my mood. I will also speak to the owners.

I work in hospitals where it is pretty common to work in offices/rooms with no natural light .my office at the moment has no natural light and I don't really think about it at all...just get on with it. Many days I go outside after work and realise it may have been warm and sunny, or raining, and I have had no idea. I am completely used to it and really don't think about it

I'm a florist and freelance for two companies that are workshop based without windows.

I actually find it okay because I am constantly moving/doing and working with flora and fauna so there is a bit of an outdoor feel to it and the door is often open so you know when it's arctic outside.....

If I was sitting in front of a computer all day then I'd probably hate it.

What type of 'creative workshop' is it?

Given we are living in a global pandemic, surely natural ventilation is more important than light right now?
I absolutely would not take a job where I had no control over ventilation in my work space. It’s the single most important thing we can do in shared spaces.

I regularly use a basement meeting room for full day meetings. It is a new conversion and has very expensively planned “day light” lighting. Not just a bulb sold as “kinda natural” but really I believe quite a lot of research has gone into mimicking natural day light.

It feels OK when you’re there, but everyone - especially first timers, but even the old hands - come out on breaks saying they’re just feel odd. It’s not unpleasant as such - just like your brain has clocked something a bit odd is going on. Maybe it’s just the lack of variation? You could mimic perfect daylight, but real daylight isn’t constant. People are always glad to go outside. A little disoriented. I would hate that every day.

Mine's not great, no daylight in my office, some in the break area. I just get on with work. It's the nature of the building; in a terrace and extended way back so it's just not possible to have a window in every office.

Dh works in what they call the dungeon. No natural light and he and his colleagues really dislike it. He hates that he feels so disconnected from the real world if you know what I mean? Like it could be snowing outside or there could be a hurricane or a zombie apocalypse and he and his workmates would still be tapping away at their computers oblivious.

This is not a great question to ask on MN because of course everyone is going to say don’t take the job. It’s the same thing if you ask if you should do a long commute or buy a house on a busy road etc. But real life decisions are a lot more complicated than that and you have to consider the whole picture. How special of an opportunity is this, OP? Do you anticipate possibly working at this job for decades or is it more likely to be a stepping stone? Is it a lot more money than you’re making now? What is the commute like? Do you have a decent job now where you could stay if you turn this down? How quickly is another good opportunity likely to arise and how likely is it that it would be in a similar workshop? There are tradeoffs to everything.

Like everyone I would always want natural light in my workplace. But I can’t say I would never take a job without it. If were a dream opportunity that’s unlikely to come again I would strongly consider it. I have young kids and my current job keeps me away from them a lot so if I could find a good career opportunity with a shorter commute, more flexibility and more money to hire outside help I would take it in a minute. But that’s because family time is a big deal doe me right now. If my kids were older or out of the house the equation might be different.

You have to weigh the pros and cons and consider your priorities based on where you are in life.

I have a SAD lamp at work. I had an Occupational Health referral . Also if you take the job you could apply for Access to Work (via job centre plus) assessment they prescribed the SAD lamp and other interventions. Does not cost the employer anything.