6 Ways To Boost Health, Wellness, And Productivity In Modern Workspaces

A workstation in an nice office, in front of a large window Progressive organisations may be refining their ergonomic workplace strategies to support hiring and retention objectives. But it’s not too late to build more flexible workspaces for 2022. Richard Guy, Country Sales Manager UK & Ireland at Ergotron advises facilities managers where to start to design a comfortable and safe working environment which promotes workers’ physical and mental wellbeing – and makes a positive impact on the bottom line.

In the current labour shortage, offering supportive work environments is the sure-fire way to increase employee satisfaction and become an organisation that candidates want to work for. A 2021 Future of Work survey by Ergotron provides a reality check for employers, indicating “73% of UK workers would choose their next employer based on the provision of ergonomic work conditions as well as support for their health”. This shows it’s now more important than ever to provide the right equipment and technology for workers.

Workplace Health And Wellbeing Risks

Where delivering the right equipment is concerned, employers often fall short of meeting workers’ needs, therefore they must engage with workers to establish their needs to carry out their roles effectively.

The Government’s 2019 Health Matters: Health and Work Guidance, reported that musculoskeletal (MSK) problems were the second most common cause of sickness absence, accounting for 28.2 million days lost in work (17.7% of total sickness absences). Rising insurance claims are also evidence of poor working habits, with the costs of looking after employees continually rising. Spend estimates put 2021 employer-paid MSK treatments at 40% greater in 2021 than in 2019, with an average of $5,687 spent per employee with an MSK condition.

6 Ways To Build An Ergonomic Workplace

The following steps will enable facilities managers to build an effective ergonomic workplace strategy:

1. Engage With Employees

This first ‘exploratory’ phase should include an employee workspace survey, which assesses the needs of workers in their specific roles. Sample questions should ask if workers work primarily on a laptop, whether they use a separate/external monitor, whether their monitor is height-adjustable and how many minutes they spend sitting during the workday. The results can be used as a roadmap to determine which provisions will have the greatest benefits and to train on best practices for adopting an active workstyle.

2. Standardise Equipment

An investment in adjustable office furniture, such as laptops, large screens, external monitors with adjustable monitor arm or swivel mount, adjustable desks, ergonomic chairs and keyboard trays can improve workers’ posture when sitting and support an active and ergonomic workstyle. Standing desks can provide the flexibility to address both physical activity and ergonomics without interrupting productivity. Working with an ergonomic specialist can help to address the needs of workers. It’s important to choose products with multiple points of adjustability and vet each product for safety, ergonomics, and durability.

3. Ensure Equipment Set-Up Is Appropriate

Once you have specified the right equipment, the following checks for each worker’s correct usage are essential:

  • Ensure the screen height is at eye level - For the most comfortable viewing, the monitor should be positioned at or slightly below eye level and about 20 inches or an arm’s length away. The neck should be comfortably upright when viewing. To optimise the distance between eyes and the screen, tilt the monitor back 10° to 20°.
  • Maintain a keyboard height that is even with elbow height. Ideally the keyboard should be tilted back 10° so that wrists stay flat while typing - a back-tilt keyboard tray that sits below the worksurface is ideal.
  • Feet should be positioned flat on the floor to support the body’s neutral posture.
  • The chair should be ergonomic and fully adjustable, with multiple adjustment points for the height and back. The right seating height is vital, and other adjustments can provide a personalised fit to support a worker’s back and neck. Arms should be positioned at a 90-degree angle to ensure neutral posture.

4. Provide Flexible Technology

Providing flexible technology enables workers to work more efficiently and collaboratively within teams. From Ergotron’s survey, 86% of workers believe it’s important to be able to carry out meetings when part of the team is in the office and the rest of the team is working remotely. Additionally, two screens have become a clear preference to one screen at work, with 47% of respondents saying that two screens were ‘very important’. When asked about the importance of monitor repositioning for different tasks, the responses indicate the new generation of workers see this as most important, with 85.7% of 18-24s, 67% of 25-34s and 58% of 35-44s considering this important.

Even the most ergonomic workspace can leave a worker tired if they stay in the same spot for too long. Overall 52% of UK workers said it was important to have the ability to switch between sitting and standing while working at home, the office or any workplace. Workers should move every 30 minutes while working for optimum wellness and engagement, which is now promoted by the NHS’ Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines Report.

5. Training And Culture Change

It’s not enough just to provide equipment to workers – they will need training to work in a way that truly supports comfort and helps reduce the risk of computer-related injuries. Sitting, especially in bad postures, is a habit that takes time to reprogramme. Best practices include supportive policies, leadership involvement and regular reminders. Adopting software to prompt employees to stand and move frequently can help correct posture mistakes.

6. Set Up Essentials Within Easy Reach

Aside from their workstations, workers will need to have essentials to support their daily working routine within easy reach. Drinking water regularly is key to keeping workers’ feeling at their best, so positioning a water supply within easy reach will help boost energy and productivity. Enabling them to readily fill up water bottles is essential for working practices.

Ensuring priority peripherals, such as printers and copiers, ensure that workers are within reach of what they need to carry out their roles effectively and feel positive and in control of their work.

Why Ergonomics Matters For Facilities Managers

Facilities managers are gaining increasing responsibility to handle the priority workplace issue of health and safety. Putting in place an ergonomic strategy will ensure the organisation is a step ahead of further potential compliance for remote workers and ensures all workers are looked after equally. The work from home guidance set out by Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) and The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) are a useful place to start.

The ideal strategy will re-design the way employees are able to work, and account for actual workers’ needs to carry out their specific roles. When applied across the business, truly ergonomic workspaces can reduce staff absence, save costs of insurance claims, and boost health, worker engagement, collaboration, and productivity – all of which will impact the bottom line.

Click the article to enlarge it.

6 Ways To Boost Health, Wellness, And Productivity In Modern Workspaces