Glasses for an over bright office?

Sunglasses might be useful.

I hate that! Also in new office space, I found myself with squinting, aching eyes after work every day.
Studies show that info-workers who deal with computer monitors all day work best in subdued indirect lighting. But what we have in most office space is 1950’s-rated paperwork-optimized lighting, bright, overhead lamps/bulbs often only partly obscured by the fixture.

I put one of these photographic umbrella over my desk on a short stand, angled so that from where I sit to work at a computer it blocks direct line of sight to the closest annoying light bulbs in view. It helps a LOT. A letter-sized page is stapled on one side to block the view of an outlier.

People ask about it, because… umbrella! ... and I answer just matter-of-factly “Cuts the glare… was straining my eyes” and wave vaguely at the evil fixtures and back to work.

A good sun hat would work too, but who wants to wear a hat inside all day every day?

If you are in an office by yourself, maybe you could just take a bulb or two out. I had to do that in order to cut the glare from my computer.

Unfortunately, I am in with about 9 other people. I found these computer glasses (nerdiwear.com), but I don’t know if they would work.

I think you need something to block line of sight to the bare bulbs. I bet you can still see the light fixtures over the top of the frames of glasses. But if computer glasses work for you I’m all for it. No use putting up with chronic eye-strain.

For the computer screen, you can set it to a contrast mode. A contrast mode is supposed to help people with vision impairments see the screen better, but it also makes the screen less bright. This will help a lot I think. If it’s windows, you right click on the desktop and it’s under “personalize” I believe. On a mac, I’m not sure but on my mackbook pro I just click Command+option+control+8 to invert the colors.

Sunglasses. I use sunglasses at night when I can’t sleep and I turn on the TV. The brightness of the TV is painful to my just woke up eyes.

Can you switch your switch for a dimmer for the lights right above your head?

You can add one if those screen covers for your computer to help with the glare.

I think everyone should keep complaining. If they are LED lights they might be super cool and bright. 4,000+ hurt my eyes, and oddly my eye is drawn to the light.

Bring in a light meter and take that reading to your optometrist. Ask them for advice.

This look like it would help you a lot, but I don’t know the cost.

I think the best thing would be for you all to get some of those huge wrap-around sunglasses and wear them at work. Probably make more of an impression on management than the complaints.

Would the department employees consider writing a letter to management, where everyone signs it?

The management here is notorious about “knowing better.” Complaints fall on deaf ears. I have heard one of them say “everyone complains.”

Not that I think you should go running to report your company, but OSHA does cover lighting that is too bright. It’s widely accepted that bright lighting can cause some people to have negative health affects.

Get some glasses that darken automatically in bright light. Or lightly shaded sun glasses.

^^^I don’t think there are any glasses that darken in indoor light. I think it has to be UV/sunlight. I might be wrong.

@JLeslie is correct.

If you can still see the overbright light fixtures beyond the perimeter of glasses then dark glasses will be worse than nothing.
In order to see the computer screen through the dark glasses your eyes have to open up but that will make them more sensitive to the bright glare from the periphery.

This is why oldy timey guys used those colored visors.

@cazzie Indeed! The bookkeeper’s visor would work, too. Personally I wouldn’t want to wear one all day every day but it’s better than eye damage.