Work is something which is necessary, but it should also be something you enjoy. You may well be lucky enough to be doing a job that you love, but your furniture at work could be causing you health problems and casting a dark cloud over proceedings. Some of the most common problems faced by British employees include postural, joint and muscular problems, particularly in the neck, back, hips and knees. Here are some tips to help you reduce furniture at work problems and other health issues at work.
1. Take a Break
You are legally entitled to at least one break in the working day, but a recent study by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists found that one in four employees work non-stop through the day without taking a break, with 60% working longer than their contracted hours. Unsurprisingly, the survey also found that 36% of workers suffer from bad posture, with 57% complaining of backache too. There is also evidence that suggests that sitting at your desk for long periods of time can pose the same risk of suffering from a blood clot (which can be fatal) as long-haul travel.
Aim to take all of your breaks, but even if you simply do not have time to take a full hour off for your lunch, do make sure that you stand up and walk around, particularly if you are already suffering from back or neck problems. If this is the case, you should try and change position every hour – set a reminder in your calendar if you are likely to forget!
2. Make Sure You Have the Right Office Furniture
Furniture at work complaints are nothing new. A Deskbound survey revealed that only 36% of employers supply their workforce with ‘comfortable’ chairs, with a whopping 70% of staff wanting more of an input into their office furniture choices. Everyone has the right to be safe at work, and sitting in an uncomfortable chair all day poses health risks, meaning that you aren’t safe. Ask for a consultation with an occupational health advisor (your company may even have one in-house), who can direct you as to what kind of chair and other equipment you might need. Also do some research into what kind of position you should be sat in – as a general rule, all of your limbs should be at right angles and there should be no strain on joints such as wrists or knees.
3. Get Some Exercise
In line with taking a break, you should also try and make sure that you do get a little exercise in the day, particularly if you have a sedentary job. Urge yourself to take the stairs instead of the lift or walk the long way back to your desk from the kitchen – unless it will get you in trouble with your boss! You could even encourage your company to supply you with a Bluetooth headset so that you can stand and walk around while on work calls. Any headset will also ease the pressure on your neck and shoulders too otherwise if you are doing a job where you have to make and attend calls on your phone for more than half of your day working hours, then there must be chances that you need to undergo a rotator cuff surgery.
