FOCUS ERGONOMICS
STAND AND DELIVER
Sit-stand desks have surged in popularity in o ce spaces in recent years – but are they making the di erence they
should? And are they even being used properly says Guy Osmond, Managing Director of Osmond Ergonomics
O ice workers are a highly sedentary
population, spending up to 85 per cent
of their time at work sitting, in large part for
prolonged periods of 30 minutes or more.
Yet sitting down for long periods is bad for
us. Not only can it cause discomfort and lead
to musculoskeletal problems, but sedentary
behaviour has also been linked with an increased
risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease,
some cancers, and mortality, o en independently
of body mass index and physical activity, as well as
with poor mental health, and a lower quality of life.
The height-adjustable or ‘sit-stand’ desk is an
increasingly common intervention adopted in a bid
to cut sitting time and create healthier workplaces.
Used correctly, they can improve wellbeing
and productivity. But in many cases they are
underused, or even inappropriately used, with the
potential to create health and safety issues rather
than resolving them.
Too many suppliers will deliver sit-stand desks
with virtually no information about how to set
them up correctly, or how to use them e ectively.
Our assessors and trainers going into workplaces
see issues ranging from poor posture and incorrect
height adjustment to people standing for too long.
Without the right support sit-stand desks can
actually end up creating health and safety issues.
The expense of sit-stand desks can only be
justified, if purchase and installation is followed
with the right training and support.
UNDERSTANDING THE PURPOSE
A crucial misconception is that the purpose of a sitstand
desk is to allow people to ‘stand’ to work. We
see people standing for hours at a time thinking it’s
doing them good. Standing for long periods can be
bad for you too – leading to varicose veins, or foot
problems for example.
It’s not so much about standing – it’s about
standing up – the movement from one posture to
another is where the benefit is.
42 JULY 2022
Whenever we supply sit-stand desks, we ensure
that the customer understands that movement is
the key – and they need to mix sitting and standing;
five to six minutes of standing for 30 minutes sitting
is recommended.
Or people might like to consider the 30-minute
cycle described by Professor Alan Hedge of Cornell
University – sit for 20 minutes, stand for eight and
move and stretch for two minutes.
CORRECT POSTURE AND POSITIONING
How you stand at a sit-stand desk also matters.
Many users set the desk too low, and end up
slouched forward, leaning on the desk with
their head tilted up at the screen creating a very
uncomfortable ‘vulture neck’. Many people also
lock their knees which restricts blood flow.
With a sit-stand desk, you should stand upright
with your legs apart and slightly bent with one foot
marginally in front of the other. Your elbows should
be level with the desk. It may be necessary to raise
or tilt the monitor slightly to the visible screen top
is just below eye level in order to avoid tipping your
head forward.
TRAINING AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT
It’s important to keep in mind that moving to
sit-stand desks represent a significant change to
the way in which people work and needs to be
managed in that way.
The first thing is to make sure all sta understand
the reasons and the benefits of using your new
sit-stand desks.
Then provide the education piece to ensure
the desks are being set up and used e ectively,
through training, in person, or through the intranet.
You might have signs and displays on the desks or
around the o ice or use an internal social media
platform such as Chatter.
And while there will always be those in any
organisation who are reluctant or reject it outright,
you can find your champions. Those who get it
straight away can be tasked with sharing that
enthusiasm with others.
A CULTURE SHIFT
It’s also vital to understand that the transition to
sit-stand desks is much more than a change of
furniture; it’s actually a culture shi .
I like the description of the workplace as
‘workspace plus culture’. Creating a healthy
workplace is not just about the o ice environment
and equipment, but the shared culture too.
So training is not the final step – sta
empowerment is key. You need to build a culture
where people take breaks, and movement is
accepted and encouraged.
In my decades working with businesses I
have seen a range of approaches to encourage
movement, from ‘walking meetings’ to limiting
the number of printers per floor so people need to
move from their desks to pick up their printouts.
A similarly deliberate approach should be applied
to sit-stand desks, because if everyone continues
to sit, no one will feel able to move their desk up
and stand.
Invite sta to set reminders to shi position using
free apps, or more sophisticated so ware that can
trigger reminders on computer screens or even
on the desks themselves. Or you could encourage
people to stand for certain tasks and activities –
sorting paperwork for example, or whenever a
colleague comes over for a quick conversation.
Sit-stand desks can work in a host of settings,
from tech companies, to education, to the financial
sector. Many of our customers opt for motorised
versions which are incredibly easy to use and quick
to adjust. Their flexibility is a huge advantage in
hot-desking o ices for example; while sitting is
best for some tasks, a standing desk that gets used
by multiple colleagues will fit all sizes, sitting or
standing – provided they all understand correct
positioning and usage.
A CATALYST FOR CHANGE
Ultimately sit-stand desks are just one element of
a healthy workplace – the bigger picture includes
both well-designed physical spaces and tools, and
a culture and ethos which promotes collaboration,
physical and psychological wellbeing and
communication.
But while they aren’t a magic bullet – they are
a powerful tool. Implemented correctly sit-stand
desks can help trigger a culture shi away from
static, sedentary working environments to o ices
that encourage more movement – that shi
can be transformative for health, wellbeing and
productivity.