The importance of ergonomics at work
Ergonomics is a scientific discipline focusing on the study of workplaces and people in order to improve effectiveness and productivity. Ergonomic design, therefore, is about fitting a workspace to meet a user’s needs, rather than making the worker adjust to the workspace.
Whilst investing in ergonomic design has an upfront cost attached, the benefits are clear and compelling — for productivity, wellbeing and quality of work performed.
Since we spend many of our waking hours at work, it certainly doesn’t take a rocket scientist to appreciate the fundamental importance of being comfortable.
What’s more, if you neglect ergonomic design in your workplace, you’re not only harming your productivity, but potentially your next recruitment campaign. Is your workplace the most attractive destination possible for current and would-be staff members? Are your competitors investing in a flexible, ergonomic space?
Aside from offering more money, creating an ergonomic workplace is an imaginative alternative way of responding to potential staff shortages that many industries are experiencing.
Beyond Comfort: Ergonomics as a Foundation for Inclusive Workspaces
Ergonomics isn’t just about improving posture or reducing back pain, it also plays a vital role in creating workplaces that support every employee, regardless of their needs or working styles. A truly responsible business goes beyond the basics of ergonomic furniture and considers how workspace design impacts accessibility, inclusivity, and overall employee experience.
By integrating inclusive design principles, businesses can create environments that adapt to individuals rather than forcing individuals to adapt to the space. This means:
- Workstations that accommodate all users, including those with mobility challenges or specific posture requirements.
- Sensory-friendly spaces, such as quiet zones, softer lighting, and acoustic solutions to support neurodivergent employees.
- Flexible layouts that encourage movement and choice, allowing employees to work in ways that suit their personal comfort and productivity.
- Thoughtful technology integration, such as height-adjustable desks and voice-activated tools, making workspaces more accessible to all.
Responsible workplace design ensures that everyone, regardless of ability, neurodiversity, or working preference, feels supported and empowered. By prioritising inclusivity alongside ergonomics, businesses can foster a more adaptable, engaging, and forward-thinking workplace.
Learn more about how accessible offices improve workplace culture.
Top tips for an excellently ergonomic working routine
Whether you’re working from home or in the office, these ergonomic principles always apply. This means more than simply investing in a new chair (although our seating is certainly a fundamental aspect of workplace comfort!).
- Posture — as well as taking a look at the NHS’ guidance on sitting correctly, ergonomic chairs and other desks gadgets that can influence our seated positioning are key; laptop stands, wireless mice, wireless keyboards as well as comfortable mouse mats.
- Feet — Keep your feet on the floor, or supported with a footrest; they should never be dangling freely!
- Arms and neck — make sure the weight of your arms is always supported by a desk or chair arms. This takes strain off your neck and shoulders and may mean adjusting the location of your keyboard or mouse.
- Head — Make sure your head is above your neck, rather than craning forward, and ensure you don’t slouch; this can put pressure on your back.
- Your monitor — the top of your monitor should be around an arm’s length away from you and no higher than your eye line.
- Lighting — in line with office design best practice, maximising natural light (for example by sitting next to a window) is a key feature of ergonomic design and improves our mood. Otherwise, try and use an LED light for correct task lighting. As the bright white light mimics daylight and is the next best thing to natural lighting.
- Movement — Keep moving when in the office or at home. Avoiding sedentary behaviour at work leads to a reduced risk of cardiometabolic disease, but also benefits our eyes. You might have heard of the 20-20-20 rule: taking a break of at least 20 seconds, every 20 minutes and to look at least 20 feet away.
- Noise — we all know how distracting noise can be, which is why acoustic solutions — such as noise-cancelling headphones or playing white noise when at home — can be useful. Sitting in an area in the office for focused work, such as work booths, private meeting rooms and zoned areas understandably can also help.
- Time organisation — Find out what works best for you. You might realise that you perform task or focused work better in the office and quicker, shorter tasks at home.
- Dedicated space — Resist sitting on the sofa when working from home and create a space specifically for work.
Having an unergonomic setup could have been forgiven 18 months ago — after all, we’ll only be doing this ‘work from home’ stuff for a few weeks, right?
