Should You Include Sit Stand Desks In Your Office Design?

Businesses are looking for different ways to improve their business' working conditions; one way to do this is to improve the office furniture. However, how do you know what areas of modern office furniture you need to improve and what elements are currently working well?

Office Furniture - Areas For Improvement

If you're unsure about what can be improved in your business' office furniture. Consider the simple things such as desks and chairs. Did you know that upgrading your businesses' desks and office chairs could result in a significant improvement to your employee productivity and wellbeing?

How Can An Office Desk Be Improved?

Did you know that sitting down for long prolonged periods of time can result in serious negative health consequences? The risks and impacts are so severe that numerous articles have been published online discussing the impact that prolonged sitting is having on the nation's health. The risk and potential harms are so great that The One Brief wrote an article called “Sitting Vs Smoking: What's The Scale Of The Risk?"

So one way that the office environment can be improved paying particular attention to office desks is by including desks that have the ability to allow your employees to work whilst standing up, these are known as standing desks.

Advantages Of Standing Desks

Standing desks have numerous advantages. Making the switch to a standing desk can lower your risk of gaining weight, which could reduce your risk of obesity. Standing burns more calories than sitting; as such you could burn hundreds of extra calories each week as a result of standing at work instead of sitting down. However, the amount of calories burned is not the only advantage of a standing desk. Another advantage is the reduction in blood sugar levels, which can be very important for employees with type 2 diabetes. [source healthline]

Additionally, it's worthwhile noting that standing desks can improve the mood of the workplace. In the past we have discussed the numerous advantages and benefits that improving the wellbeing of your employees can have on the productivity of your business. Some might even argue that a person-centred approach to office design is required where ergonomic furniture, health food options, and a carefully designed office environment is critical to the success and wellbeing of a business.

Why Choose A Sit Stand Desk?

Sit stand desks enable your employees to choose between either sitting down or standing up whilst they work. This includes the numerous advantages of including standing desks in your office environment, but doesn't rob them of the ability to enjoy 'a sit down' during their working day. Additionally, you could also incorporate the advantages of ergonomically designed office chairs into your office environment, providing your employees with the choice between two improved working conditions.

However, it's also important to note the disadvantages of standing all day. Whilst sitting all day can be very harmful to your help, it's also important to vary your posture throughout your day and avoid standing for long periods of time. By including sit stand desks into your office furniture, you provide a simple and easy way to allow your employees to stay comfortable and balance the amount of time they spend both stood up and sat down throughout their working day.

Did you know that the Health Secretary has said that every business should encourage their employees to use sit stand desks? His exact words were, “I know from personal experience that having a standing desk can help you get some exercise and improve your productivity at work," [Source sit-stand.com]

Are There Any Disadvantages Of Sit Stand Desks?

There are some disadvantages of sit stand desks, for example if the desk has a noisy motor that transitions the desk from standing to sitting, this could cause a significant amount of noise distractions. However, this could potentially be mitigated through the use of incorporating acoustics into your office design. You can learn more about acoustics in the workplace by reading out blog titled Considering Acoustics In The Open Plan Office.

Another disadvantage of sit stand desks is the options for customisation that are available. For example, desks which are sitting only or standing only have the ability to integrate with privacy screens or specialised office equipment. So if you're considering making the switch to a sit stand desk, make sure that any customisation products you would like to use are compatible with the desks you are installing.

Provide Your Business With The Office Furniture It Needs With A Helping Hand From Active.

Our in house team of modern office furniture experts have fantastic working relationships with industry leading office furniture design manufactures. This enables us to provide our clients with stylish, ergonomic, and durable office furniture solutions, suitable for a wide range of different budgets.

We work with all the major office furniture designers and suppliers within the UK. This includes Verco, Allermuir, Orangebox, Boss Design, Mobili and Vitra. Additionally, thanks to the strong working relationships we have cultivated over the years, we can provide advice regarding choosing the office furniture that is right for your business. For example, one of our previous office furniture projects was a state of the art call centre for Virgin Media, which their CEO commented “it's the best call centre I've even been to, the transformation is amazing."

To Learn More Or Make An Enquiry, Contact Our Team Of Experts Today

If you would like more information regarding the office furnishing solutions that are available from the Active team, or if you would like more in-depth information about how our team of experts can assist your business with modern office furniture, please do not hesitate to get in touch with a member of staff.

The Active team are available to answer any questions regarding our office interiors services you may have. You can speak to us by calling 0845 130 9066.

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