How much do employers and employees truly value their office
chair? I have been involved in office furniture installation
for nearly 10 years and it constantly amazes me how a desk
is valued far more than a chair. Both are inanimate objects,
true; however a desk's purpose is simply too keep your computer,
paperwork, photos of your family etc… off the floor.
The value of the desk is 90% aesthetic. When I see clients
with regard to office refurbishment, in 9 out of 10 cases
they have a set budget. From this budget, office desks generally
take priority, with office chair selection dictated by funds
remaining after the desks have been chosen.
But why? Lets look at some maths for a minute. You work 8
hours a day, 5 days a week, 48 weeks a year. If we say you
are sat at your desk approximately 5 hours per day in the
course of a year you spend 1200 hours sat in your office chair.
If you want to visualise this better 1200 hours is the same
as 50 days and nights solid sitting down.
So what do you sit on at work?
Budget operator chairs are available from as little as £30.
Whilst these are of solid construction and in a lot of cases
guaranteed for up to 5 years, they are simply not ergonomically
suitable for prolonged use.
It could be suggested that an employers provision for seating,
bluntly comes down to how much they value the well being of
their staff.
If anyone believes the above statement to be a little dramatic
it is worth knowing that the official prevalence of back pain
in the UK is 16.5million sufferers. Reports suggest approximately
5 million days per year are lost in the UK working days are
lost in Britain through back pain.
2005 reports state that stress has recently overtaken back
pain as the most common cause for absenteeism in the workplace.
According to the HSE up to 5 million people in the UK claim
to feel 'very' or 'extremely' stressed by their work. Obviously
stress has a number on contributory factors but having to
maintain an uncomfortable posture would certainly be a major
one
It is wrong to suggest that more appropriate office chair
provision will completely alleviate these problems. It must
however surely help whilst improving overall motivation from
staff whilst they are at work.
Orthopaedic seating is readily available through most good
office furniture suppliers, however when office furniture
quotes and tenders are created in a price driven market, no
one seems to have analysed the true cost implications of inappropriate
seating.
Author - C Jones
How
Important Is Your Office Chairs
