How to Make Your Office More Comfortable

Gone are the days when employers believe that office ergonomics is just a fancy and luxurious workplace comfort idea. Ever since ergonomics has become a mainstream idea, office equipment, vintage furniture pieces, office arrangements, planning, layout, and designs have changed for the better.

Workers who work in an office with non-ergonomic furniture and equipment is likely to sustain health complications and injuries, such as back pain, muscle stiffness, muscle swelling, and muscle numbness or tingling. Employers should know that such health problems can be easily prevented and avoided by improving their offices’ ergonomics.

1. Use comfortable office chair – The common belief is that any office could do you no harm but in reality not all types of chair can provide maximum comfort to its users. Office workers are prone to sustaining back injuries when using uncomfortable chair for years on a daily basis. Hence, it is very important to carefully choose the chairs that your employees would use. An ergonomic office chair should have soft and comfortable cushion, durable arm rests, adjustable seat height, adjustable back rest height, lumbar support, and can be swiveled or rolled around. Yes, even vintage furniture and chairs can be ergonomic, just consult your retailer about the best item they can offer you.

2. Invest on ergonomic office desks – Office workers are in front of their computer sets for good number of hours, which is why it is important for them to have quality and comfortable desks. You don’t have to spend so much money on new desks as you can provide comfort to employees by simply re-arranging the desks to promote ergonomics. The height of the desk should complement users’ comfort. Additionally, the height of the desk should be in sync with that of the chair’s height. By simply adjusting the height of the office desks, employees can be free from back pain and muscle stiffness.

3. Arrange computer set – One of the cheapest ways to make an office ergonomic is to arrange the items atop office desks, especially the computer sets. The monitors should be in the right place. This means it should be at least two to three inches below eye level and at least an arm’s length away from where the user is sitting. The location of the mouse and keyboard is likely vital. The two should be close to each other, and should be placed directly in front of the user and at the center of the desk.

4. Remind employees about their posture – No matter how much money and resources you invest on office ergonomics if your employees don’t practice good posture while working, your organization’s efforts could go futile. Posture is an important element of workplace ergonomics, which is why in order to provide employees with maximum office comfort, they should practice proper posture. Employees should be reminded not to slouch, keep their elbows close to their body and keep their wrists straight, and keep their shoulders and back relaxed.

5. Consult with ergonomics expert – If your company is serious about promoting office ergonomics and keeping everyone healthy, then you can find benefits from consulting with an expert. An ergonomics expert will study your office’s current setup and design, and pitch in suggestions on how to improve it. Additionally, the expert should help you decide on what equipment and furniture to replace or upgrade. Basically, an ergonomics expert will guide your business in its goal of making your workplace more comfortable for employees.

An office that is not ergonomic is more likely to have stressed-out employees. You should remember that when employees are stressed or suffering from muscle ailments their work performance is adversely affected. So, if you want to have more productive and creative employees, you should invest on quality ergonomically designed equipment and furniture.