What is ergonomics?
Ergonomics is the concept of people’s efficiency and level of productivity within their work environment. There are lots of ways to manage it throughout the day with different tools and techniques, but especially with the furniture you use while working. Work-related ergonomics impacts the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of a person’s life. It can have either positive or negative effects on someone based on how they act on it, and whether they want to improve it and make strides to do so.
When thinking about ergonomics, we think of the individuals’ surroundings and the things they use daily that can affect ergonomic levels. For an example, office furniture such as one’s desk, chair, monitors, and the technology accessories they use can all have an impact on someone’s ergonomic level while at work. Not many people think about the impacts these things have, especially when you are working at a job and are very busy. Ergonomics is not something to ignore and can be beneficial to learn about.
What is the goal of ergonomics?
There are a lot of goals when it comes to ergonomics in the workplace. Here are a few objectives that result from the improvement of ergonomics and can increase productivity levels at work:
- Improve the quality and quantity of work
- Improve the productivity levels
- Reduce and prevent workplace-related injuries or fatigue
- To make the employee feel comfortable and excited about work
- Improve workplace attendance.
What is ergonomic furniture and how can it improve workplace ergonomics?
Ergonomic furniture has features aimed to improve productivity and reduce fatigue and other workplace-related physical issues. Neck and back pain, posture issues, eye strain and headaches can all improve once your office upgrades to ergonomically friendly furniture pieces. The Vari® brand is based on improving ergonomics in the workplace and offers many great products to help with these kinds of issues. For people who work at a desk all day and experience these common issues, Vari offers the infamous Vari standing desk, as well as standing mats, monitor arms or laptop stands which all have different functions and features to help reduce workplace-related injuries or other types of dilemmas.
Ergonomic furniture can tremendously improve productivity levels in the workplace. Allowing employees to do their work differently whether that is standing or sitting, can help them take control over their physical issues they are facing. It can also allow them to be more comfortable and get more things done depending on how they feel most productive. Studies show that standing increases blood flow, which helps the brain to work at a faster pace. Other studies show that implementing monitor arms or a riser for one’s computer or laptop can help reduce eye strain and neck problems because the person isn’t angling their eyes down onto the screen and is looking straight ahead instead. Both standing and using tools like a monitor arm can help reduce long term issues such as bad posture and eye strain.
Having office furniture that allows you to stand and sit can boost focus, energy levels, and overall happiness in the workplace. Investing in your employee’s health and comfort shows them that the company cares about them. Vari has lots of ergonomically friendly workplace furniture that can change the way your employees feel, both physically and mentally. After all, it’s hard to get things done and complete important tasks when you aren’t comfortable in your workspace. Sitting for hours at a time induces fatigue and can cause crampy legs and feet. Get your employees out of their seats periodically with an adjustable desk or a standing desk. These tools will always be functional and will help boost ergonomic levels for years to come.
Why is ergonomics important in the workplace?
How someone holds themselves whether they are sitting or standing can affect their ergonomic level at work. Slouching, putting weight on one foot, or looking down at their computer can affect performance overtime. Ergonomics is very important in the workplace because knowing how to get into and stay at a comfortable position while working has great positive outcomes: not only for the employee, but for the company as well. Here are some key directions on how to sit ergonomically:
- Keep your shoulders low and not raised.
- Maintain a straight back for posture or line up your lower back with the curve in your chair.
- Adjust your armrests to 90° and make sure they fall at elbow height for maximum comfort.
- The top of your monitor is at eye level.
- Your wrists are straight.
- Feet are flat on the floor.
Sitting on a different type of chair all together might help you sit ergonomically. Vari’s active seat encourages good posture because the chair is backless. The range of motion helps with dynamic movement and is easily adjustable for height differences between people. It can also help if you are someone who likes to be moving a lot or can’t seem to focus sitting still.
Whether you work from home or in an office, it’s not easy to improve posture, neck pain, and discomfort without ergonomic furniture. Investing in a standing desk or one of the many Vari monitor arms is worth the price for the long-term effects. More and more people are beginning to recognize that fatigue levels during the workday are at an all-time high, which is when these issues typically occur. Vari laptop stands are also a great way to reduce tiredness and other preventable issues. They can be adjusted based on the person’s eye level and can encourage them to look straight ahead at the screen rather than down. This is very important, especially if employees are looking at a computer screen for hours per day.
How can ergonomic furniture improve productivity at work?
Having ergonomic furniture such as a standing desk, a monitor arm, a standing mat, and a supporting desk chair can help employees stay comfortable, pain-free, and more energetic. Standing while working is shown to burn more calories, increase blood flow, and increase focus levels. When people are feeling lively and aren’t fatigued all day long, more tasks can get done. If standing for hours at a time isn’t appealing because it causes foot pain, use a Vari standing mat so employees feel better about standing.
A desk that can be altered to different heights can help change the workflow, especially with the addition of a standing mat. Encourage employees to flip flop between standing and sitting to switch up the pace. For tasks where they need to be more concentrated, sitting in a high-quality Vari task chair is ideal. For meetings and other tasks like emails, encourage them to stand to reduce back pain and to allow proper blood flow.
Productivity and organization also go hand in hand. When your employees are more organized, they will be more productive which improves workplace ergonomics. Filing cabinets are necessary for storing your files and important paperwork in an organized fashion and helps you to know where everything is. Vari’s file cabinets are the perfect solution for your home office or regular office needs. It fits pretty much anywhere and has three drawers for storage. Being physically organized can improve productivity because when you know that your paperwork is coordinated inside your file cabinet, your brain will feel more at ease when you go looking for it.
Charging accessories such as Vari’s power hubs and things like proper lighting can also help increase productivity. Having a power hub with five ports can ensure that all your technology is ready to go and can reduce wasted time from devices not being charged when you need them. Vari’s task lamp is great for long-lasting and energy efficient light. It also comes with a built in charging port and turns on and off with a simple touch. Having functional and innovative devices on your desk whether you are working from home or are in the office can help you feel more productive and comfortable in your environment.
Can ergonomic furniture improve work-from-home productivity levels?
All Vari products can help tremendously in improving productivity at work, which gives more freedom to employees on how to do their work. This ties into work-from-home atmospheres, because getting distracted or feeling tired is especially common while you work from home. Having ergonomic furniture in your work-from-home office or workspace is essential. Having a Vari adjustable desk that can sit on top of a table, or a regular desk can really help with productivity levels because it can be raised and put down multiple times per day. This can be true with monitor stands as well. With many people working from home nowadays, these pieces are definitely needed for home spaces as well and are well worth the price for comfort.
What brand offers office furniture with ergonomic features?
Vari offers a wide variety of office furniture that can double as home-office furniture. Their furniture pieces are ergonomically functional and help reach common goals that are both health related and productivity related. They can also help increase organization, which in turn can help employees feel calm and at ease knowing where their things are.
Ergonomics is the study of people’s efficiency in a workplace environment. In order to better help the business as well as the employee, Vari furniture products are here to provide increased efficiency and productivity. These valuable pieces are functional, beneficial, and can drastically reduce common health-related issues within lots of people who spend their time working at a desk. Jump on the ergonomic bandwagon and see what Vari products all are about.
References
Fluidstance. Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Standing While Working. (https://blog.fluidstance.com/2022/06/evidence-based-health-benefits-standing-while-working) Accessed October 11, 2022.
Fseap. Ergonomic Tips for Working from Home. (Fseap. Ergonomic Tips for Working from Home. (www.fseap.ca/post/ergonomic-tips-for-working-from-home) Accessed October 7, 2022.
Spineuniverse. Ergonomics: The Human Body and Injury Prevention. (https://www.spineuniverse.com/wellness/ergonomics/ergonomics-human-body-injury-prevention) Accessed October 7, 2022.
Vari. Tomorrow’s Office Furnished Today. (https://www.vari.com) Accessed October 11, 2022.
Written By: Elizabeth Ednie
Sponsored by: Vari