In any workplace, it’s important for employers to do what they can to help keep their staff feeling good and working productively. But with ergonomics playing a vital role in both performance and posture, could moving away from standard office furnishings help your staff?
Read our guide on how investing in standing desks could benefit your workforce’s mental and physical health, as well as keep them fully engaged with the tasks at hand.
Reduces back pain
Back pain is one of the biggest causes of staff absence, with UK businesses losing 4.9 million days due to work-related back pain every year.1A common complaint, especially from office workers, is that sitting down all day is a cause of discomfort and pain in the back and neck areas.
Studies have revealed that businesses implementing standing desks can see a reduction in back pain. Participants using a standing workstation noticed a 32 per cent improvement in lower back pain,2 whilst another study found that by using a standing desk for just over an hour a day, upper back and neck pain reduced by over 50 per cent.3
Boosting mood and energy levels
Standing desks can help improve employees’ overall mood and even give them extra energy. As part of the Take-a-Stand Project – whose aim was to reduce occupational sitting time and improve workers’ health – 87 per cent of those who took part found they felt more energised as a result of using a standing desk, reporting improvements in their mood over a four-week period.4
Interestingly, once the standing desks were removed, the participants stated that both their mood and energy levels had deteriorated, highlighting the positive impact using a standing workstation on a daily basis for a short period can have.5
Helping with your mental wellbeing
It’s imperative to do as much as possible to try and promote positive mental health among staff, which is something standing desks can help with.
According to research, sitting down for more than six hours per day leaves you at greater risk of depression and anxiety.6 By providing the option of standing desks, it helps get your staff out of their seats and on their feet.
An easier way to burn calories
A survey found that 44 per cent of office workers felt they had gained weight in their current job, with 53 per cent believing it was due to sitting down as they are consuming more calories than they are burning.4
You could burn 150 more calories whilst working at a standing desk for three hours a day compared to sitting down – over a year, this equates to more than 30,000 calories.4
Making your staff more productive
According to research, getting your staff up off their chairs is an effective way of getting the most out of them – standing desks can have a positive impact on the productivity levels of an employee.
In a study undertaken by the University of Leicester on 143 NHS employees, 43 per cent of participants who swapped their seats for standing desk reported an improvement in performance, whilst 52 per cent said they were far more engaged with their work.7
To find out more about Sovereign Health Care and how its cash plans can help support your business and employee wellbeing, visit sovereignhealthcare.co.uk/business
1 British Pain Society, 2 PubMed, 3 Centres of Disease and Control, 4 Just Stand, 5 Teeter, 6 Men’s Health, 7 The Telegraph