With millions of people continuing to work from home, Forest & Maker explains the vital role desks play in preventing musculoskeletal issues.
It’s been three weeks since the UK went into lockdown. In this time, most workers have been able to set up an adequate home working space. Yet it is undeniable that the challenges of remote working remain.
Perhaps one of the most common issues relates to the make-shift desks that people are using day in day out; whether it’s the kitchen table, coffee tables or a cramped office table. And in the most extreme cases, no desk at all.
The time people spend at their workstation varies but the average British office worker spends 35 to 40 hours a week sitting at their desk. So, it needs to be comfortable, promoting good posture, in order for workers to remain healthy, happy and productive.
Yet recent research from the Institute of Employment Studies (IES) highlights that this isn’t always the case. Out of the 500 respondents to its homeworking wellbeing survey, more than half reported experiencing new aches and pains: 58% complained of neck pain, 56% experienced shoulder pain and 55% had experienced back pain. If this goes on for too long, it could cause serious musculoskeletal issues in the future.
But this can all be avoided. Did you know that employers have the same health and safety responsibilities (under the Health & Safety at Work Act) for home workers as they for any other workers? This is regardless of whether the home-working situation is permanent, or short term as is currently the case for many people. Indeed the Health and Safety Executive has a work station check list, although when it comes to office furniture, it mostly relates to having adequate seating.
Yet in the current situation alarm bells are ringing. The IES research found that 75% of respondents say their employer has not carried out a health and safety risk assessment of their homeworking arrangements.
With a significant decline in musculoskeletal health in just two weeks the IES has advised that employers make efforts to ensure that their remote workers’ home offices are set up in a way that’s safe and ergonomic. With home working set to continue for the foreseeable future, there is certainly an opportunity for employers to assess whether they can provide more equipment to make the working environment more productive.
At Forest & Maker we understand that a desk is more than a desk. Whether it’s for the home office, or the ‘office-office’, it’s a place where decisions are made, businesses are born and where we summon our best creative and cognitive efforts.
We’re urging businesses to invest in the wellbeing of their staff by investing in work stations. Companies need to weigh up the benefits of the cheaper alternatives against the benefits costlier options can provide.
Whilst investing in a timber desk may seem expensive, there are many affordable options which will contribute to better working environments. For example, our Graft collection is a celebration of exquisite office design and showcases the beauty of natural timber.
Not only do they look good but natural materials such as timber are widely credited with enhancing creativity and reducing workplace stress. And as well as offering benefits to employees, investing in timber meets the demands of sustainability conscious individuals and organisations. All our desks are handcrafted from nature’s raw materials – we only use certified, sustainably-sourced British-grown oak and ash.
If you’re a business looking for help in sourcing solid, affordable (and sustainable) timber desks for your remote workforce don’t hesitate to drop us a line.
