magazine
38
Workstations
Five reasons why
sit-stand is on the up
Here, Scandinavian Business Seating’s
Stacey Turner gives five reasons why
you should consider sit-stand for your
workplace. It doesn’t matter if you are
an owner, office manager, HR director
or front-of-house employee, sit-stand
benefits all.
1
The problems of sitting all day
are now well documented.
Studies on
both sides of the Atlantic confirm our
sedentary lifestyles are slowly killing us.
Research from workplaces in Australia
1
supports this. Although the quality of
office chairs has increased in recent years,
sitting for long periods of time is bad for
well-being. Sitting reduces blood flow and
circulation while also slowing metabolism,
leading to higher rates of heart disease,
colon cancer and diabetes, not to
mention back pain and joint problems.
2
Standing isn’t the solution either.
In
the early ‘90s even the British government
realised the dangers of standing for too
long at work. This is why they brought
in legislation compelling employers to
provide seating to any staff member
able to perform their tasks sitting down.
Standing for long periods affects muscles,
bones, blood circulation and much more.
Those who stand for excessive periods
expose themselves to increased risk of
blood clots, heart disease, varicose veins
and leg swelling.
3
Employers are responsible for the
health and safety of their employees
while at work.
It may seem far-fetched
now, but there was a time when
companies handling asbestos would have
laughed at the idea of law suits from
employees affected by what they handled
at work. Yet asbestos claims are now the
longest running mass litigation tort in
the U.S..What may not look like a threat
today may come back to haunt you in
the future, if you are deemed to have
been negligent.While it’s unlikely that
health issues related to seating (or lack
of) will ever get anywhere near asbestos
levels of seriousness, we shouldn’t be
dismissive of our responsibilities to our
workforce either.
4
In the long run it may not be a
cost but an investment.
Studies show
modern workers’ productivity to be
anywhere from 45-85%. If we are honest,
we can all admit to being inefficient
or unproductive at times. This is often
down to distractions, but the wrong tools
also play their part. Having a chair or
workstation that causes discomfort will
certainly affect performance. The cost
of lost productivity is severe and will
quickly outstrip the costs associated with
sourcing a good, ergonomic workstation
set-up.
5
It will create a better work
environment.
If the whole team feels
happy and ‘well’ at work, it naturally leads
to a better overall environment. Team
spirit is higher, motivation increases and
an overall feeling of goodwill thrives.
CONCLUSION
Despite the hype, there are real, tangible
benefits to using sit-stand workstations.
Sit-stand desks will be good for your
organisation in the medium- and long-
term. Don’t just assess the situation from
the perspective of pounds spent. Look at
individual and organisational wellbeing.
Consider productivity, health and team
spirit. Imagine the workplace where you
would love to work and do what you can
to make it a reality.
There is a wave of enthusiasm for sit-stand workstations in the workplace.
Are the benefits real or is it all hype? Sit-stand workstations can end up
costing quite a few pounds so you need to be sure you’re doing it for the
right reasons – and that you will see a return on your investment.
Stacey Turner,
Scandinavian
Business Seating
1.Television viewing time and mortality: the Australian
Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab).
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