Deal with your emotions & train your brain Before we delve any deeper into sitting down, let’s take a moment to explore emotions and the role they play in our everyday health & wellbeing. Emotions are powerful, so dealing with them head-on is one approach. By learning how to be present and tune into your surroundings, you will form solid foundations for your emotional processing abilities. Life is busy. There will always be loads of stuff to do, but don’t allow your brain to trick you into unhealthy habits. Every time you take on a task or activity, stop and think about it. Is what you’re doing efficient or beneficial to your life? Is there a better way to do it? Or, is what you’re doing harmful to your wellbeing? When you start processing your emotions and training yourself to be more mindful, you will make positive changes consistently—which brings us back to sitting down. As humans, we’re not built to sit for long periods—the most sedentary of activities was simply meant to be a short interval between standing and moving. But, these days it feels like we take standing intervals between sitting. The more tuned in you are and the better you are at processing your emotions, the more mindful you will be about sitting down for excessive periods. These small changes can show you visible results in your mental and physical health over the long term. Try the Chair Test Now that you know how mindfulness and emotional processing plays a role in your daily wellbeing, let’s get back to the issue at hand:yoursitting habits. It’s time for The Chair Test. This simple test will determine where you stand—we mean sit (no pun intended)! It’s simple: explore these tasks and answer YES or NO. Based on your answer score, you will know the truth about your sitting habits. So, go ahead, open your eyes to reality.
Score Yourself: For eachYES you get one point. 0:Congrats, you aren’t a chair addict so you’re in the green zone. 1-2:You’re a chair pre-addict. 3-5:You’re a chair addict. 6-8: You’re a prisoner of your chair. 9-10: You’re super sedentary, it’s time to make a change. Are you a sitting addict?It’s time to take a STAND, literally. Never fear, here at Humbleworks HQ, we know a thing or two about the benefits of reducing your sitting time. And, we’re going to give you a few pointers on making those lifestyle tweaks that will help you work towards a happier, healthier life. Take it one step at a time Moving on from one sedentary activity to the next doesn’t qualify as taking a ‘one step at a time’ approach. To make a sustainable change, you have to break your excessive sitting habits. We recommend you make changes incrementally, and at your own pace, keeping the end goal of sitting less without effort in mind at all times. Start with the simple 30: 5 rule: move around after every 30 minutes of sitting to free your muscles and maintain your body mechanism. Slowly move on to standing for meetings and coffee breaks, and when you’re ready, invest in a standing desk to enjoy all of those health-boosting benefits while you’re working. Baby steps lead to a greater change, the kind that sticks. So, don’t leap, take your time—you will get there in the end, and it will be worth it. In today’s world, most of our activities are based on being idle, but there are alternative (better) ways to do things—and most of them involve moving or standing.
So, take heed of this wake-up call before it’s too late. And, if you’re looking for further inspiration, read ourguide on which standing desk to buy for your specific needs.
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The Covid-19 outbreak has shaken the world upside down, forcing us to change the way we work and live, in every way imaginable. Our universally isolated and socially distant lifestyles can prove to be a real struggle, particularly when it comes to mental health and wellbeing. Working from home now becomes ‘the norm’—and for many, we know it’s a real challenge. Not all of us are equipped to live in isolation or stay away from people we love, but of course, this is a necessity at the moment until the situation subsides further. But, that doesn’t make it easy. No matter how creative or productive you may be, maintaining mental wellness can prove challenging in our current climate. Being home can be frustrating: you may feel bored, have insomnia or also feel isolated And then, there is the matter of stress and anxiety. “It’s OKAY to be scared. Being scared means you’re about to do something really, really brave.” – Mandy Hale We know that stress and anxiety is a real burden and when it gets too much, it can have a negative impact on your everyday life. To help you look after your mental health in isolation, here are some tips and hints from all of us at Humbleworks HQ. Here are are a few ways to handle anxiety and stress Stay in touch with friends and family via social media or calls You may have been busy and running around before we were thrust into a state of isolation—so take this opportunity to connect with near and dear ones. Enjoy laid back conversations filled with laughter and nostalgia. Doing so will help you feel connected and flood your brain with positivity. Stick to a personalized routine If you follow a routine outside of isolation, why not form one in isolation? Wake up at a consistent time each day and put together a routine that will give you purpose, flow, and motivation; maintaining a framework will help to prevent you from falling into a lethargic lifestyle while keeping you both physically and mentally supple. Sticking to a routine will also provide you with a level of focus that will help keep your anxiety at bay. Change your mindset It isn’t always easy, but take a little time each day to look at all the positives the isolation has given you and keep moving forward; knowing there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Find ways to be more healthy, both mentally and physically speaking, with mindfulness, fitness regimes, walking, running, cycling, music, or art. Give priority to mental wellness Prioritize your mental health and take steps like mindfulness and meditation to manage it. Isolation is tough, but even the slightest bit of effort and social connection can go a long way. If you’re mentally low, talk to someone you love, go outside for a walk, or focus on an activity that makes you feel good. It is all about balance and being present. Take care of yourself Putting the least amount of stress on your mind and body should be the top priority right now, so go ahead and take care of yourself. Enjoy a little pampering, treat yourself to something you love, enjoy a lie-in — basically anything that makes you happy, alleviates stress, and reduces your anxiety. New beginnings Life is not just about work, it’s about play, too. Consider the lockdown a gift of time and learn something new. We get an enormous amount of wellbeing from new challenges, so take this time to commit to achieving a new goal or learning a new skill without pressuring yourself, and start your new journey today. This positive level of focus will work wonders for your wellbeing. “You can’t always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.” – Wayne Dyer Exercise for anxiety and stress Our lives are wired in such a way that stress, unfortunately, is inevitable. But, there are exercises that can help—and we’re going to look at some now. When we exercise, our body releases endorphins that help alleviate stress. Also, regular exercise can improve your vitals, increase blood circulation, enhance the brain’s cognitive functions, and improve sleep quality— all key ingredients to reducing stress and anxiety. Here are regular exercises you can try to help reduce your stress and anxiety during a lockdown:
“Do not let your difficulties fill you with anxiety; after all it is only in the darkest nights that stars shine more brightly.” – Ali Ibn Abi Talib We are living in challenging times—but, by taking heed of our advice, you can help to manage your stress during the pandemic. If you need to talk to someone, here is a link to some essential resources that will help—don’t suffer in silence—we’re here for you. If you need some guidance on your new professional situation, read our guide on what you’re entitled to when working from home. Let’s start with the overall wellbeing of employees. If their jobs involve them spending long hours sitting behind a desk, then I could begin to wreak havoc with their health if they don’t dedicate some time to exercise and maintain healthy eating habits. Wellbeing isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ along with growth strategies and hitting targets anymore. It should be fully integrated with any company’s agenda. The truth is that if you’re not looking after your employees, you can’t expect them to look after your company and your customers. Ignorance is mutual, and it is the higher managements’ job to set an example. It can be seen that many companies have started seeing wellbeing programmes seriously. 2017 was a milestone year as 70% of US employers introduced them from 58% in 2015. Physical health is the main reason why wellbeing at work matters as their 64% of adults in the UK are classified as overweight or obese. Both cases have a significant impact on absenteeism because of which many companies lose a lot of money each year. Furthermore, staying fit helps to develop a sharper memory which makes one a faster learner, as well as can result in prolonged mental stamina. Companies which introduced wellbeing programmes strongly benefited in recruitment and retention. By offering their employees additional perks, they are standing out among the competitors when it comes to attracting top clients. It simply improves the company’s reputation. Having said that promoting physical activity among employees can drive several benefits for the business, unfortunately, we must note that exercise cannot offset the risks of sitting… Standing up for just 10 minutes every hour, on the other hand, can. According to a 2017 survey out of the Society for Human Resource Management, Adjustable standing desks are the fastest growing benefits trend. 13% of employers provided or subsidized them in 2013 and 44% did so in 2017. Why are you asking? A 2014 study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that standing desks reduced the sedentary time by more than three hours a week, they increased the sense of wellbeing and gave energy, as well as decreased fatigue and appetite. Another study conducted by Texas A&M University at a call center found that productivity increased by 46% when using standing desks in comparison to colleagues who didn’t. Furthermore, in both studies, employees felt less trapped by working in an office. “Once you get used to using a standing desk, there’s just no going back- now I can stand for hours on end, and sometimes have to remind myself to give my legs a break. I feel restless and lethargic if I have to sit down all day” — Rachel Krantz, Senior Features Editor at Bustle. It might be difficult to answer the question: what are the costs of not buying a standing desk for your business with a specific number as it depends on the size of your company, employer’s salary, etc. However, not having at least one in your office can lead to missing all of the above benefits. Remember happy employees, happy customers, profitable business.
Why standing desks are emerging as the bold, bright future of remote working More people with sedentary or computer-based jobs are standing up at work—and for good reason. The digital revolution has made remote working not only feasible, but a productive, creative, and cost-effective means of operating across industries. Perks that have, of course, been highlighted by the pandemic. In this brave new remote world, people are searching for the ideal workspace. Having a clean, organised, and inspiring space is essential—but without adopting the right posture, remote workers will run into issues pretty swiftly. The kind of issues that affect mental as well as physical health, stunting productivity in the process. Taking the stand: a sustainable approach to remote working Back to standing. Realising that sitting is now considered the new smoking, droves of remote workers (as well as office-based workers) are choosing to stand up for prolonged periods while working. Standing up at work offers a wealth of life-long health benefits. Here are the main perks of using a standing desk at work:
Standing desks are on the rise, designed to help digital natives thrive in a hyper-connected, tech-driven digital age. By taking the stand, you will enjoy a happier, healthier worklife. You are built to be upright: inside the standing desk The benefits of using a standing desk are undeniable. But, many products out there today are bulky and impractical. So, we came up with a solution. https://youtu.be/W4A4G-43S3k Designed to promote excellent posture and ensure optimal performance, our standing desks sport a sleek, minimalist design that is 100% portable. Remote working should mean that you’re not confined to one room or location, so we’ve made it possible to pack down and set up our standing desks with ease, no matter where you are in the world. Once you’ve set up your work station, you will benefit from focus, better spine positioning, improved muscular engagement, and a safer foot position: At HumbleWorks HQ, we know that it’s not good enough to make working sustainable—looking after our planet is vital too.
Our expertly-crafted standing desks are completely plastic-free and made with sustainable materials, so that working better and living well doesn’t come at a cost to the planet. I see this all the time with my patients - Chronic Back and Shoulder Pain from Deskbound jobs, hunched over all day.The unique design of the HumbleWorks solves this by having you look straight ahead."--Elizabeth James, Doctor of Chiropractic Are you ready to take a stand? Explore our latest range Humbleworks standing desks and reap the rewards of a happier, healthier professional future. For more mood and productivity-boosting pearls of wisdom, read our essential guide to improving your health & wellbeing when working from home. Imagine waking up fresh as a daisy, nailing your working day, and still having plenty of energy to enjoy some well-deserved family time in the evening before heading off to bed content and restful. Sounds good, no? While it may sound like some far-fetched utopian dream, being consistently content and energized is well within your reach—all you have to do is make some tweaks to your lifestyle. Did you know? The average person spends around nine hours (or more) of their waking day sitting down. That’s a lot when you really think about it. Our emotions and consciousness are so deeply rooted we space out without realizing, but our subconscious keeps us going. So, ever thought why that happens and what can you do about it? In addition to diet, sleep, and exercise, sitting down for excessive periods of time can have a significant impact on your overall health and wellbeing. In short, if you sit down too much, you will suffer, both physically and mentally. The reason your brain is often overwhelmed by your daily life (or just ‘struggling through’) is because it subconsciously follows a deeply etched sedentary habit. Now, if standing is one of your main habits, you’re likely to feel better, enhance your energy levels, and flood your brain with mood enhancing chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. If you are feeling sluggish, you might be sitting down too much. Here’s how to find out.. Deal with your emotions & train your brain Before we delve any deeper into sitting down, let’s take a moment to explore emotions and the role they play in our everyday health & wellbeing. Emotions are powerful, so dealing with them head-on is one approach. By learning how to be present and tune into your surroundings, you will form solid foundations for your emotional processing abilities. Life is busy. There will always be loads of stuff to do, but don’t allow your brain to trick you into unhealthy habits. Every time you take on a task or activity, stop and think about it. Is what you’re doing efficient or beneficial to your life? Is there a better way to do it? Or, is what you’re doing harmful to your wellbeing? When you start processing your emotions and training yourself to be more mindful, you will make positive changes consistently—which brings us back to sitting down. As humans, we’re not built to sit for long periods—the most sedentary of activities was simply meant to be a short interval between standing and moving. But, these days it feels like we take standing intervals between sitting. The more tuned in you are and the better you are at processing your emotions, the more mindful you will be about sitting down for excessive periods. These small changes can show you visible results in your mental and physical health over the long term. Try the Chair Test
Now that you know how mindfulness and emotional processing plays a role in your daily wellbeing, let’s get back to the issue at hand your sitting habits. It’s time for The Chair Test. This simple test will determine where you stand—we mean sit (no pun intended)! It’s simple:explore these tasks and answer YES or NO. Based on your answer score, you will know the truth about your sitting habits. So, go ahead, open your eyes to reality.
Score Yourself: For each YES you get one point. 0:Congrats, you aren’t a chair addict so you’re in the green zone. 1-2:You’re a chair pre-addict. 3-5:You’re a chair addict. 6-8: You’re a prisoner of your chair. 9-10: You’re super sedentary, it’s time to make a change. Are you a sitting addict?It’s time to take a STAND, literally. Never fear, here at Humbleworks HQ, we know a thing or two about the benefits of reducing your sitting time. And, we’re going to give you a few pointers on making those lifestyle tweaks that will help you work towards a happier, healthier life. Take it one step at a time Moving on from one sedentary activity to the next doesn’t qualify as taking a ‘one step at a time’ approach. To make a sustainable change, you have to break your excessive sitting habits. We recommend you make changes incrementally, and at your own pace, keeping the end goal of sitting less without effort in mind at all times. Start with the simple 30:5 rule: move around after every 30 minutes of sitting to free your muscles and maintain your body mechanism. Slowly move on to standing for meetings and coffee breaks, and when you’re ready, invest in a standing desk to enjoy all of those health-boosting benefits while you’re working. Baby steps lead to a greater change, the kind that sticks. So, don’t leap, take your time—you will get there in the end, and it will be worth it. In today’s world, most of our activities are based on being idle, but there are alternative (better) ways to do things—and most of them involve moving or standing. So, take heed of this wake-up call before it’s too late. And, if you’re looking for further inspiration, read our guide on which standing desk to buy for your specific needs. So you've decided enough is enough and you won’t take it sitting down anymore but decided to work from a standing desk. Great but what do you look for, how much should you pay, should it be sustainably designed? Not to worry we’re here to help…. Here is a list of 8 things that will help when considering buying a standing desk, we’ve listed them in descending order to outline the most important. Budget As standing desks are an excellent investment for your long-term health and wellness, we’re placing ‘budget’ with least importance. Height adjustable desks alone could set you back from £200 to £3000. If you’re tight on cash and none of these fits your budget, consider a retrofitted standing desk converter. Weight capacity Not all standing desks are designed to hold the average laptop and desktop. If your standing desk is expected to do some heavy lifting, remember to check the maximum weight the standing desk can hold. Ease of assembly and user-friendly Some standing desk requires a simple one-off installation while others may need complicated mounting. Alternatively, a retrofitted standing desk that may be collapsed and stowed away is usually excellent for hot desking or space-saving when it's not in use. Depending on your needs, choose the standing desk that offers you the most flexibility. Work surface If you’re the messy co-worker that the entire office is aware of or require multiple large screens, be sure to check the available work surface the standing desk offer. Warranty Avoid purchasing cheap standing desk substitutes that don't offer a warranty. Warranty periods for quality standing desks vary greatly; a good quality desk would come with at least three years of warranty. In case you’re wondering, HumbleWork offers five years warranty on all of our products! Material and quality/durability Warranty duration usually depends on the number of intricate parts the standing desk has and also the material strength of which the standing desk is made from. Cheap plastic would have a shorter product lifespan as compared to its metal or wood counterparts. You wouldn’t trust a structurally unsound standing desk to hold your $2000 computer. The material that gives you the best value for your dollar would be good old sustainable wood. Versatility, maximum and minimum height Apart from its core functionality, some standing desks offer additional functions such as built-in speakers. More importantly, it is essential to check the height adjustment range of the standing desk to best suit your ergonomic needs Ergonomics
Lastly, we consider the most critical factor when buying your standing desk as posture, after all this is what you are primarily looking to address. A height adjustable 'Standing desk' does not comply with our ergonomic needs. Although it raises your laptop, you will soon find yourself standing bent over looking down at the screen. This exacerbates upper cross syndrome. An ideal standing desk allows you to work comfortably facing straight ahead. Hope you’ve gathered all the information you need to purchase your first standing desk. Feel free to send across any queries and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Happy standing! Let’s start with the overall well-being of employees. If their jobs involve them spending long hours sitting behind a desk, then I could begin to wreak havoc with their health if they don’t dedicate some time to exercise and maintain healthy eating habits. Well-being isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ along with growth strategies and hitting targets anymore. It should be fully integrated with any company’s agenda. The truth is that if you’re not looking after your employees, you can’t expect them to look after your company and your customers. Ignorance is mutual, and it is the higher managements’ job to set the example. It can be seen that many companies have started seeing well-being programs seriously. 2017 was a milestone year as 70% of US employers introduced them from 58% in 2015. Physical health is the main reason why wellbeing at work matters as 64% of adults in the UK are classified as overweight or obese. Both cases have a significant impact on absenteeism because of which many companies lose a lot of money each year. Furthermore, staying fit helps to develop a sharper memory which makes one a faster learner, as well as can result in prolonged mental stamina. Companies that introduced wellbeing programs strongly benefited in recruitment and retention. By offering their employees additional perks, they are standing out among the competitors when it comes to attracting top clients. It simply improves the company's reputation. Having said that promoting physical activity among employees can drive several benefits for the business, unfortunately, we must note that exercise cannot offset the risks of sitting… Standing up for just 10 minutes every hour, on the other hand, can. According to a 2017 survey out of the Society for Human Resource Management, standing desks are the fastest-growing benefits trend. 13% of employers provided or subsidized them in 2013 and 44% did so in 2017. Why are you asking? A 2014 study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that standing desks reduced the sedentary time by more than three hours a week, they increased the sense of wellbeing and gave energy, as well as decreased fatigue and appetite. Another study conducted by Texas A&M University at a call center found that productivity increased by 46% when using standing desks in comparison to colleagues who didn’t. Furthermore, in both studies, employees felt less trapped by working in an office. “Once you get used to using a standing desk, there’s just no going back- now I can stand for hours on end, and sometimes have to remind myself to give my legs a break. I feel restless and lethargic if I have to sit down all day” - Rachel Krantz, Senior Features Editor at Bustle. It might be difficult to answer the question of what are the costs of not buying a standing desk for your business with a specific number as it depends on the size of your company, employer’s salary, etc. However, not having at least one in your office can lead to missing all of the above benefits. Remember happy employees, happy customers, profitable business.
As we migrate towards an increasingly hyper-connected digital age, remote working is on the rise. COVID-19 has seen us drifting in and out of lockdown for almost a year now, with no clear cut end in sight. But, despite the abundance of stress and challenges the pandemic presents, it has proved the feasibility of remote working. The virus has forced businesses across sectors to digitally transform in recent times—and many are noticing that people are maintaining or even exceeding productivity levels when working from home. While this may be the case, working from home doesn’t suit everyone. If you’re working from home for the foreseeable future and you’re struggling to stay motivated, or your wellbeing levels are starting to dwindle, we have a method that might help. Our ‘M.M.R’ method is simple yet effective and will you maintain your physical wellbeing while staying motivated while working from home. But first, let’s look at the main factors barriers to health and wellbeing when remote working. Common home working health threats According to a mix of studies, here are the main factors that affect our health and wellbeing when working from home for extended periods:
The physical and mental health threats to working from home—poor posture or an inadequate environment being the main culprits—are very real. In addition to establishing a solid routine and making healthier food choices, our ‘M.M.R’ method will help you remain focused, active, and engaged throughout the day—and it’s simple. Here it goes: Move: Regular movement will promote good blood circulation, boost metabolism, and help to prevent feelings of sluggishness. Aim to get up, stretch, loosen your limbs or take a little walk around your home for a minute or so every 30 to 40 minutes. It will help. Separate: In addition to moving frequently, you should aim to separate from your work completely twice during the day. By stepping away from your desk completely, taking a moment to clear your mind, and doing something unrelated to the task at hand, you will feel refreshed, revived, and motivated when you return to your desk. Doing this will also give your days a little more balance. Even if you're busy, 20 minutes at a time will do. Go for a stroll outside, cook something up from scratch, play the guitar, do a little sudoku, have a bath....the choice is yours. Just make sure you separate a couple of times a day. Stand: Sitting down for prolonged periods is associated with a raft of physical and mental health issues. Humans aren’t designed to sit down all day, so one of the best things you can do while working is stand up. Standing up will help you feel more motivated while making moving and separating easier to do during the day. Start small, standing for an hour or two a day, and lengthen your horizontal working stint over time. Take a stand...
By too much sitting still, the body becomes unhealthy, and soon the mind. This is nature’s law."--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1839 If you’re looking to stay happy, healthy, and motivated when working from home, our ‘M.S.S’ method will help keep you on your toes and maintain motivation levels day after day. The most important part of the method is taking a stand. Standing at work can lower your risk or weight gain as well as heart disease, improve your posture, and boost your energy levels. At HumbleWorks HQ, we’ve developed a range of sustainably made, portable standing desks designed to reduce back pain and optimise your performance. It’s time to take a stand—it’s time to invest in your future. Get yourself a standing desk, follow our ‘M.S.S’ method, and for further wellness-boosting tips, read our practical guide to fostering good habits & improving your health when working from home. As the COVID-19 storm rages on, it looks like we’re buckling down for at least a few more weeks of home working, maybe more. If you’re one of the droves of professionals working from home during the coronavirus outbreak, there are certain standards that your employer needs to meet to ensure a safe, secure, and sustainable working environment. Yes, as a home worker, there are things you are entitled to right now. The question is—Are you getting them? Sector, industry or role aside, your employer has a duty of care to you as a homeworker. There are minimum requirements that your boss needs to meet. And, to make sure you get what you deserve, we’re going to tell you what they are right here. What you are entitled to as a homeworker If you are working from home for the foreseeable future, looking after your health is essential. Maintaining optimum levels of happiness and personal wellbeing shouldn’t be some far-flung luxury, it needs to be a priority. Here’s what your employer should be offering to help enhance your wellbeing when you’re working from home. Access to software & communicative tools To ensure you can work to the best of your ability while gaining access to personal support when you need it, your employer is required to provide you with seamless access to the right digital tools. You should be equipped with the tools to collaborate with your colleagues and talk to your boss or senior staff should you need professional, emotional or practical support. Without this level of functionality or connectivity, your productivity and wellbeing will suffer. If you feel that you lack the appropriate applications or software to connect, collaborate, and access support, you should bring this up with your employer, immediately. Office equipment. When you’re working for home, your employer should provide the office tools and equipment that will empower you to work fluidly and in a way that will benefit your health. Poor posture and substandard office equipment are proven to hinder longterm health while degenerating levels of wellbeing while at work. That said, you are entitled to:
Again, if you feel that your existing equipment is detrimental to your health and wellbeing, talk to your employer and ask how they can help. A safe & healthy working environment By law, every employee should have access to a safe, healthy working environment. If your home working situation isn’t safe and not designed with your longterm health and wellbeing in mind, you have a right to request reasonable adjustments. If there is an aspect of your home working environment that you believe is unsafe or causing you physical and mental distress, you should document what you feel needs to change and approach your employer. This Citizens Information guide will help to steer you in the right direction. The perils of poor posture & bad work habits It’s clear that your employer should play a pivotal role in your wellbeing when working from home. And, to put this duty of care into a living, breathing perspective, here the reasons that poor posture, prolonged sitting, and bad work habits are terrible for you:
“Self-care is how you take your power back.”–Lalah Delia Essentially, fostering good habits, working with the right tools, and standing for long periods will enhance your working from home health and wellbeing, significantly. As much as it’s down to your personal initiative and choices to ensure you stay healthy at work and increase your chances of a long, happy existence—your employer is obliged to help. So, make sure you get what you deserve. If you’re allocated a budget for better work tools and equipment, one of our eco-friendly, ergonomic, and completely portable standing desks will help you optimise your performance while protection your health and wellbeing, not only in the short-term but long into the future. Why stand?
As humans, we are designed to stand for long periods and as such, avoiding prolonged periods of sitting is one of the best things you can do for your longterm health. Plus, by filling your body with oxygen-rich blood, you will feel happy, energised, and ready to take charge of your workday. Essentially, it’s the smart thing to do. If you feel like your current working from home situation is bad for you, it’s time to take charge and do something about it. Contact your employer, explain the issue (or issues), and get the tools as well as the support you deserve, now. Even if you’re set to migrate back to the office when the time comes, you could be working from your home for some time. Even a few weeks can have a significant impact on your longevity, so don’t let your current setup slowly kill you. Once again: take action, ask your employer for help. We hope this information helps and for more invaluable insights, check out our four essential working from home wellbeing tips. The roles and responsibilities for Human Resources (HR) vary significantly with organisation size and industry. It could entail everything that deals with people and issues related to people such as compensation and benefits, recruiting and hiring employees, onboarding employees, performance management, training, and organisation development and culture. In all but a few organisations human resources roles stop short of impacting the physical environment. Workplace design has a profound impact on the employee health and wellbeing and in turn on performance, engagement and morale but this responsibility rests with real estate or facilities teams which, more often than not, are not responsible for HR metrics. We conducted a detailed analysis of key performance indicators (KPIs) for HR professionals to understand which metrics are most affected by office design and environment. Here are the top four: Employee Surveys: Surveys have been the most important source of getting employee feedback. They measure employees’ satisfaction with different elements of their job like the relationship with peers and bosses, rewards and recognition, training and development, tools and facilities, office environment and company mission and values. Physical elements required to do your job are always a key consideration. For example, it is the second question in Gallup’s Q12 survey. The Leesman Index goes much further and more profound. It identifies individual, focused work as the most critical activity, desks and chairs as the most important physical features and environmental factors like temperature, noise, natural light and cleanliness in the top ten. In short, ergonomics have a significant impact on employee satisfaction. Absenteeism: Last year Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the UK concluded that 21.4% of all work days lost were due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) that occur due to poor workplace design and lack of ergonomic considerations. A further 50% of absenteeism was attributed to stress, depression and anxiety – conditions aggravated by poor ventilation, lack of natural light, inefficient space utilisation and poor office design. Turnover/ Retention: The first symptoms of disengaged and stressed employees is a rise in absenteeism. Over time this turns into a higher turnover and lower retention. There’s a vast body of academic work that demonstrates a high correlation between the quality of work environment and employees’ intent to quit. One recent study concludes, “Employees are significantly less likely to intend to quit their job if they perceive it to be a good working environment.” Employee Net Promoter Score (ENPS): It is a metric to gauge how willing the employees are to recommend their workplace to friends and acquaintances. If workplace facilities and the environment is driving employees away, then they are not going to recommend others to join. In our experience organisational structures with greater collaboration between facilities management, human resources, procurement and on-site teams lead to holistic solutions and balanced outcomes. Most importantly the physical and social cultures are aligned.
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