Protecting the health of your workers in an open office is of the utmost importance for managers. However, when you have an open office with multiple workers constantly interacting and moving around, it can be hard to keep illnesses at bay.
Managers in offices use various unique methods to prevent the spread of office sicknesses. Managers have tried everything from practicing proper hygiene to spacing out workers far away from each other.
But nowadays, there's a new approach to preventing office sickness - using standing desks.
Now, it may not seem that office sickness and standing desks are directly related. However, you'll be surprised at what simple standing desks can do to the well-being of your workforce.
Below, we'll talk about the limitations of the traditional approach to office wellness as well as how a standing office desk can improve your team's well-being. So, if you're looking to prevent office sickness, you've come to the right place.
Read on to learn more.
A Look at the Traditional Approach to Office Wellness
Before we start, we need to state that there's nothing wrong with the traditional approach to office wellness. This is a very effective way of keeping and maintaining a healthy workforce, which promotes productivity, a good working environment, and efficiency. All we're saying is that the traditional approach has its lapses, which leaves some workers vulnerable to sickness.
For example, let's look at the most common way managers promote office wellness: proper hand hygiene. Most offices nowadays require regular and thorough hand-washing to prevent the spread of disease. While this works, it's very limited as this doesn't do anything to boost the worker's immune system and it also puts too much reliance on the individual.
Not all employees will follow your hand-washing rules and best practices. Even if you conduct workshops, training, and seminars on the importance of proper hand-washing and other hygiene practices, there is still a chance of non-compliance. This is why you can see people getting sick even in offices with strict hand-washing rules.
On top of that, these traditional approaches don't consider the psychological side of office wellness. There's no doubt washing your hands can prevent the spread of disease, but these practices don't do anything when it comes to reducing stress and improving the overall mental health of the workers.
This is why offices are encouraged to find new and innovative ways to promote office wellness, preferably in ways that consider both mental and physical health.
Why Physical Activity Is Important in Office Wellness
One of the simplest, yet most effective ways to promote office wellness is by encouraging workers to live a healthy lifestyle. To do this, you must promote physical activity. Even if your team spends most of their time sitting down at a desk, it's important to get them moving. This stimulates their body and keeps them healthy and strong, which prevents certain physical issues and injuries from occurring.
For example, a common issue with many office workers nowadays are back problems. Remember - our bodies aren't designed to be sitting down for hours on end. This is why many office workers who spend most of their time sitting on their desk develop back pain and similar issues.
This is especially true when the worker's muscles aren't active and strong. However, if the person is physically active and exercises regularly, there's a much smaller chance of them developing the injury. This is why all managers should find ways to encourage employees to be more active.
Keeping the Team Active with a Standing Desk
If you're looking for a simple and effective way to keep your team active, you may want to consider a standing desk. These are adjustable desks that can shift between different heights. So, workers can choose between standing and sitting positions at the press of a button.
This can reduce the amount of time they spend sitting down and also encourage more physical movement. On top of that, it's a futuristic piece of office furniture that will bring your workspace into the modern world.
If you're looking to reduce the amount of time your team spends sitting down and slowly damaging their bodies, a standing desk is a great investment. Not only that, but these desks have also shown to improve productivity and creativity, which is why even home-office workers are making the switch.
These desks are sturdy and great at promoting office wellness. So, if you're looking for innovative ways to promote good health in your workspace, it might be time to consider getting height-adjustable desks for your workers.
Conclusion
While they may not immediately come to mind when thinking about office health, standing desks are a great investment for managers looking to prevent office sickness. They come in many shapes and sizes, so it's important you find the right one. That way, you don't just boost office wellness- but you increase productivity and efficiency at the same time!
