Leading providers of Switchable Glass and Film, SmartGlass Technologies (SGT) recently explored how companies can help workers feel better about returning to the office despite two years of working from home. Citing a recent North American survey of over 1600 workers, SGT found that employees really miss controlling their workday in a variety of ways. From choosing a workstation, managing the lighting and sound levels, setting the temperature, to flexible hours, employees are desperate for some control.
“For today’s office workers, it’s all about personalization and control,” said William Turcan, principal owner at SGT. “Instead of offices, or other fancy perks, what workers really want is better air quality, access to natural light, and the ability to personalize their workspaces. They want to work out of an environment that’s best for them. And the only way to do that is to put them in the driver’s seat.”
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SGT offers one important solution that can help businesses provide their employees with maximum individual comfort. SGT installs Smart Film in windows in offices, healthcare facilities, and other properties across the country. Once installed, this film turns traditional windows into surfaces that block 98% of harmful UV rays and 95% of infrared radiation. And Smart Film can be adjusted from transparent to opaque, with several shades in between.
“Once a company installs Smart Film, it has the option to give employees full control of the privacy,” said Turcan. “Each window can be adjusted not only through switches and dimmers installed throughout the office, but also through workers’ smartphones as well. So, by just unlocking their phone, employees can adjust the brightness of any window near them. The windows can be made opaque to allow for maximum privacy, or employees can choose to make windows more transparent to bring in more natural light. All at the touch of a button.”
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Proven to minimize the effects of external temperatures from affecting office interiors, Smart Film helps offices save on heating and cooling costs. For example, in 2020, SGT installed Switchable Smart Film in the Allstate Insurance office in New Jersey to offer the company additional privacy options in its conference rooms and reduce energy costs. The company installed a total of 200 sq/ft of Smart Film in the Allstate office, and the entire job took just two days.
Another company came to Smart Glass asking if it could install Smart Film throughout its entire office in less than a week. The company was on the verge of a major deal and wanted Smart Film installed so its potential partners could see it was a firm that stayed on top of the latest innovations.
“Our team can install Smart Film quickly, with little to no disruption to a company’s day-to-day activities,” Turcan said. “And not only does it save energy costs, it’s something that catches people’s attention. It can certainly be used as a tremendous marketing tool. The Smart Film benefits for companies and organizations are endless.”
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