Table of Contents
Introduction
There are sitting, standing, and sit-stand desks available in the market. This ergonomic furniture can range from low to massive high, depending on your budget. So, should you or your organization invest in them?
When you browse the web engines for ‘standing desks’ or ‘do standing desks increase productivity,’ there is one common thing that pops up.
“A recent study from Texas A&M University found that employees who used sit-stand desks were 46% more productive than those at traditional desks.”
So do you believe this stat and consider buying a sit-stand desk, or do you want to know more?
If you are still reading this, you are inclined to know more about the sit-stand desks. So here we go.
The Truth About Sit-Stand Desks
There are sitting, standing, and sit-stand desks available in the market. The ergonomics of standing desk can range from low to massive high, depending on your budget. So, should you or your organization invest in them?
Let us look at the truth about standing desks.
1. The above stat cannot have the exact numbers for your organization.
The Texas statistics are about employees from a call centre. Plus, they had a dedicated age range. So, you cannot be adamant about the “46%”. It can be higher or lower for your employees. It all depends on the employees’ type of work, work hours, physical build, and other health concerns.
2. The furniture is to be used correctly.
Just buying desks does not solve our problem. You must ensure that you or the person using it have the correct posture. If you purchase an ergonomic sitting desk but are slouching on the chair, it will only add to the woes.
Even when using the standing desk, it should have a dedicated number of hours and regular body weight shifting on both legs. This comfortability is accountable for standing desk productivity.
3. They DO increase productivity
The answer to do standing desks help productivity and do standing desks improve productivity is ‘yes’!
Standing desks do increase productivity, but the credit cannot be given to them entirely. When flexible furniture is available at a workplace, the employees know that their well-being is vital to the organization, which also adds to the credit for being productive.
An employee can take a break by standing to work. This reduces the unnecessary break time taken due to prolonged hours of sitting. But that does not mean that you should avoid breaks for stretching the body.
The standing desk provides flexibility and health benefits to work. We shall discuss this in the next section.
Advantages of Standing Desks
When employees have the flexibility to work at an organization, they work more proactively. This increases focus, teamwork, and productivity and reduces health issues. There are numerous benefits of standing desks, we have tried to list some of them below.
1. The Employees Feel Energised
Try standing and working for a while when you are tired and lazy. You will notice a distinct change. Your body will feel energized, and you will be more alert and awake.
2. The Employees Feel Comfortable
Your team is comfortable working in the position they feel comfortable in. Plus, when they stand up and work, they bend their knees frequently, shift body weights for leg comfort, stretch their backs, and exercise their necks. This observation is not rocket science. It is just that when humans are standing, they tend to relax and stretch their bodies more than they do while sitting.
For example, a safety manager has access to a safety dashboard, and they can analyze workplace safety from their desk. But when they move around or stand to observe specific working processes, their body will relax, plus safety is also taken care of.
3. The Truth About Blood Circulation
We all know that walking is an excellent exercise for blood circulation. But what about standing? Standing for some hours and properly shifting body weights on either leg regularly is also good for blood circulation. As stated above, a person unknowingly relaxes their body more while standing; hence, that is the best way to increase blood flow to the brain.
Science says that blood flow in the brain enhances critical thinking and problem-solving and makes the brain more active.
This is just like proactive safety management. Instead of waiting for the body to show signs of stress, you are proactively keeping the body healthy to keep stress away!
4. It Sends Out A Positive Message
When the authorities invest in something that makes the employees feel comfortable, it gives them a sense of belonging. For example, if the organization invests in an EHS management system, the employees feel safe that workplace safety is taken care of.
Similarly, employees feel involved and appreciated if a workplace invests in ergonomic furniture like standing desks. And eventually, their productivity yields the desired results.
These are some of the advantages of standing desks. Once you incorporate them into your organization, you will see better results and understand their benefits.
So, Now You Know It.
We have provided ample reasons on why you should invest in ergonomic furniture, especially standing desks. So before your employees start searching online on ‘how to ask for a standing desk’, surprise them by investing in one!
Also, we want to give you a small tip: try incorporating standing postures in daily tasks before investing in the furniture, and you will notice the difference. For example, conduct meetings and have daily discussions or morning meetings without using chairs. This will help you see the difference between participation while sitting and standing and proceed with the furniture investment.
An organization’s most important asset is its employees. A healthy team results in a healthy and productive work environment. Occupational Health should be religiously promoted and maintained to the highest degree of physical and mental well-being of workers.
After all, Lou Holtz has quoted, “It’s not the load that breaks you, it’s how you carry it.”
Thus, we can only answer the “how” by providing a flexible workplace. So this leaves employees to maintain correct posture, be productive, and love their workplace!
