An Uncomfortable Office Chair can Reduce Productivity - Here are 10 Reasons Why
A comfortable working environment can boost productivity and an uncomfortable office chair can affect the productivity of the employees. A desk worker spends most of their time sitting on a chair and it to be uncomfortable will greatly affect productivity. Not every employee’s body is the same so it is rather unusual to get chairs that are not adjustable or simply does not match the body structure of the employees. It also reflects in their work and motivation to work, which can take a downhill turn and hinder the progress of the organization collectively.
An uncomfortable office chair can be the single most hindering factor in the productivity of the employees. A comfortable sitting position is a great factor to enhance the effectiveness of the employees in performing a particular task. It also makes the employees have a positive feeling about the organization and put in their best efforts. As office chairs are the place where an office worker spends most of his time sitting, taking extra effort for comfort make it a place people love to work. Similarly, an uncomfortable sitting posture or office chair will send negative vibes to the employees which in longer make them unhappy and dejected from work.
Employees can feel neglected
An employee put in a lot of effort and spends most of his time sitting in an office chair working for the organization. It is the duty of the organization to ensure the employees are taken care of and provided a comfortable working environment. In the long run, it will hamper the organization as people will start feeling neglected inside the office. The organization must take care of the comfort of the employees to ensure they work with their best efforts. An uncomfortable office chair is one of the determinants that the office does not care for the comfort of the employees.
It can greatly affect the motivation of the employees as they will feel demotivated to work in an environment that does not take care of their comfort. It can spread across the office making the employees come together and collectively feel like not working in the office. It can be greatly devastating for any organization. In order to reduce the chance for such mishaps, investing in good quality comfortable ergonomic office chairs is a wise move for the longer run.
Cause Occupational Injuries
Poorly made office chairs can cause injuries to the person sitting on them for hours. An office worker spends over 8 hours sitting on an office chair. If the chair is uncomfortable and does not suit the body of the employee it can cause injuries to the back and neck. Neck and back issues are becoming a major occupational hazard. Office chairs are a major reason for such injuries that prevent the workers to work or attend the office. Back problems are also a major reason for absenteeism that can greatly hinder the working of any office.
Additionally, if the office chairs are not of good quality or uncomfortable it can cause permanent damage to the body of the workers. This is a risk no one is willing to take and is becoming a major concern for organizations with more desk workers. Investing in good quality comfortable office chairs are not only a sensible decision but also a decision one should make based on the humanitarian ground. An employee spends so much time working for the organization and it is the duty of the organization to take care of their health and prevent injuries.
Present an unprofessional attitude
Uncomfortable mismatched and broken chairs will give an unprofessional vibe to the workers and they will not feel like working in the office. On the other hand, a cleaner and quality chairs will make the workers feel wanted and motivated to work. Work environment plays an important role in the productivity of employees. Office chairs being one of the most important parts of an office’s work environment, it plays a big role in the productivity of the employees.
Comfortable office chairs that are placed keeping in mind of the employees make the office send a professional vibe where the organization is taking care of the employees. It will surely make the employees feel comfortable at work and return the positive attitude with their best effort. It also enhances the productivity of the employees who feel more likely to work in a comfortable working environment.
Demotivate the workers
If the employees are constantly concerned about their office chair, this will demotivate them from working harder in the environment. An uncomfortable office chair can cause the employees to feel at unease and troubled sitting for long hours. It also acts against the health of the employees and makes them more concerned about their pains than to focus on work. An employee at least deserves a comfortable chair where he is to spend most of his time sitting.
An uncomfortable office chair will make the back strain and cause pain in the back which will make them demotivated to work. You will never want your employees to get demotivated to work in the office which can play against the working efficiency of the organization. If the office cannot provide a comfortable sitting place. It will affect the person working there feel neglected and demotivated to be part of the office that does not care for their comfort and good health.
Takes longer to finish tasks
If the chair an employee is sitting on is not comfortable he will feel pain and uneasy to finish a task. It can take him longer than usual to finish the tasks if he has to constantly get off his seat just to stretch his limbs. An uncomfortable chair will make the muscles feel strained and fatigue, which in turn will reduce the time one can work without taking a break. A comfortable chair, on the other hand, allows the workers to work longer without feeling tired or fatigue.
Muscles sprains and fatigue will greatly hinder the working of an employee and make them lose concentration on the work. If they are not comfortable in their working posture and feel pain and discomfort it will affect their work and take them longer to get a job done rather normal. It is true that an uncomfortable office chair will greatly impact the time one takes to finish a job compared to a position that ensures smooth movement and lesser strain on the body.
Adjust to the body structure
Not all employees have the same height, weight or size, so a size for all does not fit well in an office. If you give a tall man a small chair that does not suit his height, he will feel a strain in his legs all day and have an uncomfortable sitting posture all throughout the day. A comfortable office chair should be capable to support the perfect body posture of the person sitting on the chairs.
As everybody is different, an adjustable ergonomic chair is a must for offices to provide for a comfortable working environment for the people in the office. If the person is comfortable working in the posture he spends hours it will make sure it does not affect his health. It can prevent the employees from getting distracted from work due to discomfort and pain.
Unhealthy for the employees
Uncomfortable sitting postures for employees is very unhealthy in the run that can cause damage to the muscloskeletal structure of an employee. Uncomfortable sitting posture put a lot of strain on the back and lower back muscles that can cause serious back problems. Office chairs should provide proper support to the parts of back that are in stress condition from sitting down for a longer time. It can also reduce the flexibility and mobility of the joints.
The prolonged strain on the back can cause commonly known issues like slip disc and disc denigration. These are some irreversible problems that one face from sitting in a wrong or uncomfortable posture for long. An ergonomically effective office chair is necessary to support the right posture and reduce the chances of these musculoskeletal issues among the employees. This, in turn, affects the productivity of an employee which in turn affect the overall working of an organization.
Cannot focus for longer
If you sit in an uncomfortable position for too long it will cause strain on the muscles and numbness, pain. This will distract the employee from work and prevent to work with all his best efforts. Keeping the focus on a particular task requires them to be not affected by any outside stimuli that can distract them from the work in hand.
As an uncomfortable posture is long sustaining, the distractions are also prolonged and frequent. Unless the posture is corrected to provided with a comfortable sitting position it will keep him distracted. Physical discomfort and pain do not go unnoticed as they are repetitive and occur frequently and cause discomfort to the person to a great degree. To keep the focus for longer, it is utmost important that the person has a comfortable chair and posture.
Increase the chances of failure
If you are constantly disturbed and in pain from a bad posture due to the uncomfortable office chair, chances are you will more likely to make more mistakes. A physical discomfort will constantly distract you from the work that can cause mistakes and failure in the task. While a comfortable sitting position will keep the person focused on the work and they will have a lesser chance to cause a fault or mistake.
If you are not sitting properly, chances are you will need more instances to adjust to a comfortable position that will play on your mind. It will keep you fumbling for the posture that makes you feel the discomfort less rather concentrating on the work. It is not the fault of the employee but the after-effects of a bad and uncomfortable office chair.
Can cause distress and frustration
An uncomfortable office chair is the biggest reason for frustration and distress among an office worker. A office worker spends most of their time a day sitting on an office chair. If it happens to be uncomfortable and not suited for a correct sitting posture, it will impact the mindset of the employee. An employee will feel dejected and that the office does not care for the health and content of the employees who work hard for the organization.
Uncomfortable working conditions are one of the major reasons for distress among employees that will make them demotivated towards the organization. Physical pain and discomfort cause mental distress and frustration among employees. This greatly impacts their willingness to work in a stressful condition with an uncomfortable working environment.
Employees can also feel ignored and not taken into consideration in the organization if the office has uncomfortable or faulty chairs. It will keep them distracted with issues with the chairs and focus lesser on the work. This will hurt the organization in the long run rather than spending a little more on getting ergonomic office chairs. Uncomfortable office chairs can also cause pains, medical conditions, and permanent health issues for the employees.
Final Thoughts
If you want the employees inside your office to be motivated and inclined to give their best, it is the duty to provide them with comfortable sitting positions. A comfortable office chair ensures that the employee feel wanted and motivated to work in conjunction with the organization. On the other hand, an uncomfortable working condition and chair will make them feel neglected and demotivated to put in their efforts towards the organization to achieve their goals.
An uncomfortable office chair has a great impact on the physical and mental health of an employee. It can cause injuries and irreversible medical conditions that are not healthy for any organization’s working environment. It also makes the organization look unprofessional as they do not put in the effort to take care of the people who work for them. Replacing the uncomfortable office chairs with ergonomic office chairs is a wise choice for any organization who want motivated, healthy and happy employees.
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