| The field of ergonomics has been getting a lot of | | | | major influence on the type of workforce you |
| attention lately, and for a good reason. With talks | | | | have. Still, providing for a quality workplace should |
| of burn-out going through the grapevine all too | | | | go beyond the physical arrangement of the office. |
| often and turnovers growing at an increasing rate, | | | | You should be able to cultivate a generally positive |
| the workforce is definitely seeking for attention. | | | | outlook among your employees. You should teach |
| What is ergonomics? | | | | them to embrace a quality way of life. Remind |
| Ergonomics is a study that figures out how a | | | | them to listen to their bodies, to take note of ails |
| workplace is best designed to achieve efficiency, | | | | or any such warning. |
| safety, productivity and comfort for the | | | | You should also teach your staff some basic |
| employees. Ergonomics put a lot of focus on how | | | | stress management techniques. Get personal. Pay |
| the physical arrangement of a workplace affects | | | | attention to individual needs. Many firms pay too |
| the well-being of the employees. | | | | much attention on technology that promises to |
| An Ergonomic Trend | | | | increase productivity, only to fail with the basics. |
| Ergonomics seems to have become part of | | | | Cultivate a healthy lifestyle among your |
| mainstream marketing lingo, with many businesses | | | | employees. Remind them to get enough sleep and |
| claiming to subscribe to an ergonomic culture. | | | | to take on a healthy diet. Also, take heed of |
| Ergonomic furniture is gaining popularity as more | | | | what professionals are recommending—instruct |
| and more companies are recognizing the | | | | your employees to take a fifteen-minute break |
| practicality in investing on their employees’ | | | | every after two hours of work. |
| comfort and well-being. They are fast realizing | | | | Beat the Irony |
| that this type of investment yields significant | | | | Another ironic thing about businesses’ |
| returns—employee productivity, retention and | | | | ergonomic efforts is that they put a lot of |
| savings on medical and insurance expenses. | | | | attention on putting together the right furniture |
| The benefits businesses get from ergonomic | | | | pieces, with all the right adjustment at the right |
| furniture go beyond the obvious. Unknown to | | | | places, only to fail to communicate their functions |
| some people is the existence of ‘cumulative | | | | to the employees who will actually use them. |
| trauma injuries’, an epidemic that has been | | | | Do not make this mistake. So you bought the |
| hitting computer users. The injury may start with | | | | perfect desks and the chair with the right |
| simple sore shoulders and neck. At its worst, the | | | | adjustments. Don’t just stop there. Be ready |
| disorder translates to employees getting disabled | | | | to give your staff the right training so that they |
| or losing their jobs. These disasters could cost | | | | do learn to make the proper adjustments. The |
| your company in terms of health insurance, costly | | | | key is to have the workplace adjust to your |
| employee recruitment and training for | | | | employees’ unique anatomical needs (not the |
| replacements. | | | | other way around). |
| Beyond the Furniture | | | | Invest in a quality workforce and be ready to get |
| Your choice of furniture pieces undoubtedly holds | | | | enormous ‘return on investment’. |