desk

As the leading multifunctional technology company around the world, Apple provides standing desks for every employee who works at the headquarters. 

Just as Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, once cited “sitting is the new cancer”, long periods of sitting does a lot of harm to mankind, including a higher risk of heart disease, obesity, and so on.

Even though this is still hard for us to understand why huge companies like Apple spent a large amount of money on standing desks?

Excluding the health problem, there are many other factors that have a large impact on the decision of investing in ergonomic pieces. Read the passage below to find more.

Financial Implications

According to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, 77% of employees have at least one chronic health problem: cancer, asthma, high cholesterol, depression, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, or obesity. The overall cost of missed productivity for these employees owing to absenteeism was $84 billion per year.

Unscheduled absenteeism is a persistent issue for U.S. firms, conservatively incurring $3,600 per hourly worker per year and $2,650 per full-time worker per year. Sick days, FMLA time, workers compensation cases, and disability are all included in this report as unscheduled absences.

It is clear that absence is a high cost for businesses. Many cases of absenteeism are linked to long-term health issues. According to studies, initiatives aimed at improving employee health may cut absenteeism by up to one-third. Standing desks assist in lowering the risk of certain medical concerns by reducing the number of time workers spend sitting. Reduced employee absenteeism expenses, a rise in group healthcare coverage premiums, or workers' compensation claims are all financial benefits of investing in standing desks.

Productivity Impact

The effect on productivity is also a big concern. Using a standing desk boosts creativity, productivity, and idea-sharing, based on many case studies. According to Business Insider, FF Venture Capital installed standing desks in its conference rooms after noticing that standing encouraged staff to share ideas more actively.

Standing desks are available as part of Google's and Facebook's employee health initiatives. Standing desks are used by more than 250 employees at Facebook, who claim that they maintain the energy level in the workplace high. In an encounter with the Wall Street Journal, Greg Hoy, a Facebook employee, remarked, "I don't get the 3 o'clock slump anymore; I feel productive all day."

Standing desks may help enhance an employee's attention, sustain greater energy levels, and boost concentration throughout job completion, in addition to increasing employee health and lowering absenteeism. Employee productivity is increased as a consequence of these advantages.

Employee Well-being

Sitting all day at the desk can definitely increase back and neck pain. If the desk and chair that employers have chosen for the office aren’t ergonomic, they may be doing more damage than good. Employees need to look for healthier options while working. A standing desk can actually help decrease back and neck pain! The Take a Stand Project found that 54% of employees who stood for 66 more minutes every day faced less back pain.

Standing desks have also been found to improve the mood of the employees. Employees who stand for 66 more minutes feel healthier, happier, invigorated, and focused. This can directly impact the productivity and efficiency of work being done. Employees who feel better will be more motivated to complete their tasks on time.

Standing desks are also great for maintaining your weight and fitness. Sitting all day long can result in quite significant weight gain, especially around the hips and thighs. Standing for just an hour every day can help employees burn calories while they are at work.