You’ve started to look after your health at work. You’ve done the research and decided a sit stand desk is for you. Now you just need to get your boss on board to buy you a new desk. We can help you mount a good case right here.
#1 Show Your Boss the Research
Tell your boss sitting is the new smoking and they wouldn’t want you to suffer the health effects! Prolonged sitting has been linked to chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes, and premature death from all-causes and cardiovascular disease. The Heart Foundation recommends changing activities that normally involve prolonged sitting to enable regular postural and activity breaks (e.g. a stand and stretch break).
A study by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention found 54% of participants reduced their neck and back pain by cutting their sitting time by 66 minutes per day. After a seven-week period, 50% of standing desk users reported a reduction in their back pain. Just one hour of standing at your desk can relieve the stress on your spine caused by sitting all day.
#2 The Power of Productivity
It’s a well-known researched fact that comfortable workers are productive workers. The equipment and environment an organisation provides its workers is a big part of the comfort level.
Providing custom equipment to meet the needs of individual workers can add to their level of happiness and engagement. When a worker feels their employer cares about their health and wellbeing, they’re more likely to work at the organisation for longer. The organisation benefits from a reduced staff turnover rate and they keep the experienced worker’s knowledge for longer.
Standing helps pump blood around the body and brain which increases brain function. In a study, 71% of people felt more focused when they use a standing desk compared to when they sit in a chair at their desk.
#3 More Energy to Burn
It seems a standing desk can give you an energy boost without reaching for the coffee cup. Most of us have experienced the mid-afternoon slump, sitting at your desk after lunch. So, you might convince your boss that you’ll be more energetic in the afternoon if you can stand to work.
In the CDC ‘Take a Stand Project’, 87% of participants said they had more energy when they frequently used a standing desk to complete tasks. An Australian study called ‘Thinking on your Feet’ found similar results. Workers who increased their standing by 60 to 90 minutes were more active and felt more energised than workers who used a traditional desk.
#4 Fewer Sick Days and Medical Expenses
If you’ve had to take time off work in the last few years to attend physio appointments or recover from an injury related to the long hours spent sitting, let your boss know. Every hour you can’t work is a cost to the organisation. You can justify the cost of a sit stand desk with reduced sick days due to pain or injury.
A US University’s Spine Research Institute found that a worker’s chronic lower back injury typically costs a business around $100,000 due to workers’ compensation and increased medical bills with the costs magnified over time. Lower back injuries are a common side effect from poor posture and non-ergonomic office chairs. By alternating between sitting and standing throughout the day, you’re altering your posture and reducing the pressure on your lower back.
#5 Doctor’s Recommendation
If you’ve been to the doctor or physio in the past for back, neck, hip pain or stiffness, then your doctor may support your request for a sit stand desk. Explain to your doctor the type of work you do and how standing for part of the day will reduce your pain.
Remember to do a little preparation before you pitch the idea to your boss. Think of the objections your boss might have and how you can overcome them. For example, if your office has built-in desks, say you’ve done some research into sit stand desk converters which sit on top of your existing desk. There’s a stand-up desk to suit every situation. If you need any help with more information to win over your boss, call or contact us online.
If you’re looking for ergonomic equipment to assist with working from home, call Ergolink on (08) 9240 7066 or
contact us online.