Having comfortable office furniture is not simply a nice perk – it can be an influential factor in an effective workforce. Since office workers spend so much time sitting at their desks, having lower-quality furniture can affect them both physically and mentally over time. Learn more about the importance of having comfortable furniture in your workplace:
Safety
Office furniture that doesn’t allow employees to sit with proper posture can lead to injuries. Extended periods of slouching or sitting in a chair lacking lumbar can contribute to back, neck, and shoulder pain, headache, numbness, and overall fatigue. In the long term, it can even result in musculoskeletal disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, muscle strain, and joint stiffness.
Productivity
When employees are physically uncomfortable due to their office furniture, it can negatively impact their productivity. Not only is it distracting to deal with a chair that is causing them issues, such as having to regularly readjust positioning or stretching to relieve pain, but if the discomfort is bad enough, they may end up needing time off work due to injury or illness exacerbated by it.
Morale
It may not seem like unideal office furniture is not that big of a deal beyond being an inconvenience or annoyance, but it sends a message to employees that their comfort does not matter. This can cause morale to decline among your employees and result in a steep decline in engagement. Disengaged employees are less likely to go beyond performing to the minimum standard, which eventually may lead to turnover.
Cost
Office furniture that is not comfortable or in good shape is often due to budgetary concerns and not wanting to spend the money to upgrade it. However, this can end up being counterproductive as furniture in bad condition can actually affect the company budget due to absenteeism and increased healthcare costs resulting from aforementioned health and safety issues, as well as lost opportunity costs due to decreased productivity.
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