The average person spends 42.5 hours a week working. For office workers & managers that’s normally 42.5 hours sat at a desk, working with screens & typing emails, social media and more.
42.5 hours is the equivalent of 4 hours an evening in the week and just over 11 hours a day at the weekend, excluding sleep and late nights our week is 50% working and 50% at home or elsewhere.
Now, you are wondering why this is relevant to IT? An average person will spend thousands making their home comfortable. Settee, TV wall mount, foot stools, cushions so they can relax and be comfortable at home, however in the office most people have the cheapest chairs with no back support, the cheapest screens, no wall mounts or monitor arms.
The bulk of IT expenditure is on the machine itself, and these typically live under a desk. They are the thing we least interact with.
I have worked in IT for 25 years in a variety of environments from harsh deserts to the arctic, and in every location people strive to be comfortable, but at work this seems to take second place.
A comfortable workplace can really help productivity, staff attitude and reduce workplace injuries and it is not actually that costly, so why not:
- Buy slightly better screens with anti glare, mount them at the correct height / distance with a monitor arm – this will promote good posture, reduce backache and clear desk space. Your eyes will also thank you for it. Larger screens and multiple screens are also great for productivity.
- Buy a good wireless keyboard & Mouse – not only will they last longer but a cordless one will allow better positioning and get rid of the messy cables over the desk. They also have better angles to work on, better keys and some have wrist supports to help prevent RSI.
- Try a trackball! These are essentially “upside down” mice with the ball on top, They take some getting used to, but you don’t move your arm to use them meaning your arm is relaxed and you don’t knock your elbow on the edge of the desk!
- Buy a good seat. A seat rated for 24 hour use that has extra padding & lumbar support, maybe even add arm rests. This will promote good posture and stop sore bottoms.
If you do the above as a basic you will see more staff smiles, and the equipment will also last longer, and from a cost perspective;
Screen Mount (Single) £70
Keyboard & Mouse £35
Trackball £30-80
Good Seat £100-200
Over 5-7 years that is just an average of £305 and most of it can be used much longer than that – so £60 a year can help stop RSI, Back Ache, Eye Strain and unhappy staff.
Make your workplace a happy relaxed workplace with our great ideas and give us a call or pop and see our office for inspiration.