Now, more than ever, ergonomic solutions are required to meet diverse employee needs.
Most everyone agrees the future of the workplace is Hybrid. But not everyone agrees on what that will mean. There is no one-size-fits-all hybrid approach. Leading organizations are trying to define the right hybrid model in order to return employees to the workplace safely and effectively.
One thing is certain: workplace design matters. Creating spaces intentionally designed for the new ways people will work and collaborate is necessary to ensure a successful Hybrid transition. Most thought leaders agree that the Hybrid workplace will involve less assigned seating and more reservable and shared spaces. However, this means that designers will need to accommodate a wide range of users for individual spaces. Differences in size and stature must be considered when setting up a hybrid work model. In the Hybrid Workplace, ergonomics are more important than ever before.
Why Employees Want To Go Back To The Office
One of the most enticing reasons people say they want to return to the office is because their work-from-home set up is less than ideal. Many of us throughout the pandemic struggled through back and shoulder pain as a result of hunching over laptops at our kitchen tables. Employers who offer their employees a comfortable, ergonomic office set up are more likely to have people excited to come back to work. To meet the needs of users, a height-adjustable desk meeting or exceeding BIFMA standards (which accommodates 90% of user heights), adjustable monitor supports and (arguably most importantly) an ergonomic task chair.
The Importance of Ergonomics
Steelcase has studied the science and effects of sitting for long periods and have concluded an ergonomic chair can keep you comfortable and productive – wherever you work. In fact, people who sat in an ergonomic chair for long periods of time actually increased their productivity by 17.8%. Your chair should keep you comfortable and focused on your work, not your chair. A ‘high-performance’ office chair should be highly adaptive to accommodate your unique body shape, size or weight with easy and intuitive adjustments that allow you to personalize it for you and your workstyle. A truly ergonomic office chair will move with you – helping you change posture without sacrificing support. As you recline, a chair’s seat and backrest should move as you do – opening your hip angle so your hip flexors and other muscles in the front of your body remain strong and flexible.
The Best Chair For The Hybrid Workplace
The Hybrid Workplace will mean less assigned seating and more touchdown and flexible spaces for employees to come in and work when and where they need to. Designers will now need to consider how to accommodate not just for one user, but several.
The Steelcase Gesture solves for this problem. Gesture addresses the broadest range of sizes. Whether large or small, Gesture promises personalized and custom comfort for all users in one simple solution, all while utilizing a minimal footprint. Â Inspired by the movement of the human body, Gesture is the first office chair designed to support our interactions with today’s technologies. Gesture is created for the way we work today.
A good chair matters. It keeps you comfortable and productive while you sit so your body can perform the way you need it to – at work and beyond.
We offer a range of high-performance office chairs designed for comfort, performance and quality. Our team of workplace experts can help you choose the right chair for you. Contact us today!