Ergonomic furniture is an important topic for every business owner, large or small. However, as every business owner knows, efficiency is often the key to productivity. Finding better ways of getting the job done that require fewer resources and less time is the single most important way to grow your bottom line. Not surprisingly, this is one of the reasons so many small businesses are investing in smarter workplace design.
In just about every case, this means bringing in an ergonomics consultant. In case you are not yet aware, ergonomics is the science of how workers relate to their environment. Furthermore, professional ergonomists provide helpful analysis for how to make productivity improvements by designing the workplace around the workers.
But while most business owners see the value of improving workplace design, few have taken the additional steps of investing in updating their commercial office furniture in line with ergonomic principles. If your small business is lagging behind, here is some good information to get you up to speed.
How Ergonomic Furniture Improves Your Small Business
Why Does Ergonomic Furniture Matter?
Most employers understand that designing a workplace to be as efficient and human-centered as possible is important for productivity. But when it comes to rethinking office furniture entirely, many have balked.
When it comes to ergonomics in the office, one of the most important things to consider is the fact that sitting for long periods of time is not ideal. The modern American worker spends most of their time seated, and this is having a major impact on the overall health of the workforce.
Excessive sitting has been linked to a range of different maladies, some of which can have a serious impact on worker productivity. For example, a sedentary lifestyle has been shown to lead to:
- Higher obesity rates
- Anxiety
- Increase in migraine frequency
- Diabetes
- Depression
- High blood pressure
- Greater susceptibility to some forms of cancer
Completely aside from the fact that all employers should care about the health and wellbeing of their workers, the health risks associated with poorly designed furniture are a good reason to invest in ergonomic furniture: sick employees simply can’t give their work the attention it requires.
Ideas to Make Your Office More Ergonomic
There is no single answer to how an office can be made more ergonomic, but one of the key developments in recent years has been related to reimagining the office workstation.
Basic Workstations
The basic workstation consists of a work surface and some form of seating. While new ergonomic chairs make it much easier for employers to maintain the classic workstation design, others are embracing a whole new way of working with the standing desk.
Standing Desks
Standing desks cut out excessive seating altogether, and while they require a bit of an adjustment, they pay dividends in productivity and focus once workers adjust to them.
Moreover, the statistics show that investing in worker health by improving workplace design is one of the best ways to ensure your entire business runs more smoothly.
Follow these tips to make your workers more productive, cut back on injuries and sick days, and create an office that is human-centered in its design. Not surprisingly, ergonomics helps you not only improve your team’s quality of life but actually leads to a healthier bottom line.
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