Apple switches to standing desks; hopefully it does pub lunches next
What Apple does, the rest of tech copies — be it pointless notches or ditching headphone jacks. That makes Apple the company to watch by would-be futurists, so take note of its latest workplace innovation: standing desks.
We’ve heard this before. Sitting is the new cancer, the headlines scream, so everyone must switch to standing desks NOW! (Never mind that the research doesn’t actually bear this out, with recent studies from UCL and University of Exeter suggesting there’s no real difference between sitting or standing all day.) Apple’s desks won’t require staff to be on their feet all day, but will let employees switch between the two. “It’s much better for your lifestyle,” Cook has reportedly said, with the desks to be offered to all employees as a perk — all employees at head office, that is, as presumably those contractors assembling the iPhone aren’t offered such benefits.
Such perks are one way that tech companies such as Apple win and retain staff in a competitive market, alongside reputation and pay packets. Apple also offers healthcare, expensive desk chairs and a subsidised cafeteria filled with reportedly very tasty food. Google similarly offers a steady flow of complimentary snacks, brightly decorated offices, free transport and fitness classes. Software firm Intuit, not normally one listed alongside the likes of Google and Apple, is taking it a step further: its Mountain View, California campus will use Starship’s autonomous robots to deliver meals from the cafeteria to workers. While those skipping lunches may appreciate the cute-and-clever drone dropping off lunch, it rolls contrary to Apple’s standing desks: should we sit for longer to get more work done, or stand up ready for our walk to get lunch?
Tech companies are seen as innovative by default, so what they do in their offices sets trends elsewhere: even PC Pro’s own publishers have shifted to brightly coloured rooms designed for hotdesking. But we should pick and choose what actually works for us, rather than merely mimicking in the hopes of absorbing some innovation. Standing desks are grand, but even better are flexible hours, taking a full lunch to go for a walk, and regular breaks from our desks. The free snacks, though, that we’ll take.