Well-designed workspace can boost productivity
Backache and other ergonomic ailments impact on business
THERE’S a lot more to ergonomics than adjusting one’s workstation or getting a chair to reduce risk of injury.
It is, according to Richard Andrews, managing director of Inspiration Office, a strategic business initiative with financial, managerial, technical and human elements that yields a high return and increases overall productivity.
The US Bureau of Labour Statistics recently reported that more than 650 000 work-related musculoskeletal disorders result in costs over $20 billion (R257bn) to employers each year.
These costs include workers’ compensation and medical expenses, which are increasing 2.5 times faster than benefit costs.
Today’s connected worker con- tinually interfaces between a laptop, a tablet, a phone, or a combination of the three, and sometimes more, simultaneously.
The challenge, however, is that many organisations have not updated their workspace requirements to meet these demands.
According to the Steelcase Workspace Futures global study, which focused on 2 000 people in 11 different countries, a well-designed workspace can increase employee efficiency by 36 percent.
Andrews believes there is a direct association between the ergonomics and economics of a business.
In addition to increasing employee efficiency, of the 30 different postures that Steelcase researchers observed during the global study, nine were entirely new.
Andrews explains that much of today’s seating was designed to support the traditional one-task, onetechnology, one-posture experience.
“With our new-age multiple devices, our bodies are forced to respond to these small technologies, leaving us unsupported,” he says.
“Work is an inherent social process that requires people to rapidly shift between individual, focused tasks and creative collaboration, and each new activity causes us to change postures.
“Since today’s worker sits in nine different posture positions than those of yesteryear, techno- logy has changed the game, and employees no longer work a 9 to 5 in one chair, doing one task.”
Productivity is increased if employees’ work areas are arranged to suit them and the type of work being done, Andrews explains. Appropriate ergonomic adaptations have also been found to effectively reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorder symptoms.
“The space in a like-for-like company really is the deciding factor in attracting and retaining the best talent,” says Andrews.
“Issues in today’s office environment which cost businesses money in lost production include, for example, time off work due to backache problems and presenteeism – when an ill and absent employee reports for work but is in fact inefficient.”
Probably one of the most underutilised words in today’s business vocabulary, ergonomics isn’t the easiest to measure and not the first option employers link to increasing profitability.
Here, Andrews provides four reasons to make ergonomic changes to the work environment:
1. Ergonomics improves the safety and health of workers. 2. It reduces a company’s costs. 3. It addresses productivity and quality issues.
4. It also responds to regulatory concerns.
Andrews says ergonomics has a real and direct impact on productivity.
“It can affect an entire business by enhancing the most important business component – the ability to let workers do their work,” he says.
“Often, office furniture and floor planning fall to the bottom of the budget list, but thanks to clever furniture leasing options, which come with a number of benefits, the budget plea can be addressed immediately.
“Stylish, comfortable and supportive, task chairs and ergonomic workstations are investments that can pay dividends in both employee health and comfort.”
Visit www.inspirationoffice.co.za or call 011 268 0636 for more info.