Business owners are always looking for ways to improve employee productivity and outcome. After all, a motivated and productive workforce brings you the strongest competitive edge in the industry. But how can you maintain a motivated and healthy workforce? Part of the solution lies in hiring the right people and building an appropriate organizational culture. But another integral aspect of building a team of motivated, productive individuals lies in office design and furniture.
Your office furniture plays an important role in the workplace performance of employees. Behind the physical features of the furniture are aspects like ergonomics and design that affect the comfort, support, posture, and movement, all of which will have a significant impact on work performance. With the right furniture in your workplace, you can take your employee’s productivity to the next level. It is due to this reason why nearly all office facilities are now giving their workspace a makeover and replacing their old, boring furniture with stylish and ergonomic furniture.
Keep reading to understand better how furniture affects work performance. Here, we will include a few ways office furniture can affect your performance, productivity, and potential at work.
Unappealing Furniture Design Affects Workplace Performance and Beyond
Unappealing office furniture may seem like a design aspect that won't impact employees' performance. However, there is a strong correlation between workplace performance and productivity with working conditions in the office. From building structure to furniture and even fittings can impact the employees' physical and mental health needs.
When employees work in a physical space with unappealing and boring furniture, it reduces their productivity and makes them lazy. Moreover, it also impacts the mental well-being of the employees as they tend to be more irritated due to their inability to concentrate and complete tasks in time. Furthermore, when employees continue to be surrounded by furniture that’s unappealing and boring, they may also tend to lose interest in work, which can significantly negatively impact employees' productivity and work performance.
Lastly, the impacts of unappealing furniture design are not limited to workplace performance. The effects extend beyond the workplace. When the same employee gets home, they will also lack productivity at home and other social places they visit.
Inappropriate Office Furniture Leads to Posture Issues and More
Apart from the visual appeal of office furniture, perhaps the most integral aspect of office furniture design that affects workplace performance is its comfort. Most office workers are likely to spend 7-8 hours every day at their workplace on most days of the week. And if the space in which you are spending 1/3rd of your day is not comfortable, then it is likely to have a physical and mental impact on you.
Imagine sitting in an uncomfortable chair for eight hours a day. How would you feel after the first two hours of your day? Tired? Uncomfortable? Uneasy? Now think again of how you would feel at the end of eight hours? Exhausted? Frustrated?
Exactly. When you continue to spend hours in an uncomfortable office setting, it takes a toll on you physically and mentally, negatively affecting your workplace performance. When you continue to spend days in inappropriate furniture that's not ergonomically designed, you are likely to experience several health problems, including backache, neck and shoulder pain, and aches and pains in different parts of your body. Moreover, you are also likely to experience reduced blood circulation, leading to problems, such as numbness and more serious health concerns, including cardiovascular diseases.
Furthermore, when you are not comfortable in your space, you are more likely to take breaks to ease your posture and bring your body and mind at peace to concentrate better on the work. However, taking frequent breaks is another factor that can poorly affect your workplace performance and productivity.
Office Furniture with Lack of Storage Adds More to Stress
Office furniture that allows you to organize your office supplies and keep things in place can improve productivity. However, if your office furniture is such that it doesn’t provide enough space for storage, then it can lead to stress, which, in turn, will negatively affect your productivity and workplace performance.
Moreover, often office workers do not have space on their workstations to keep essential items handy such as a printer. As a result, they have to get off their desk to get up and go to another place to finish their task, which breaks the flow of work and is another way office furniture can negatively affect workplace performance. Opting for office furniture that allows enough storage and keeping items handy will speed up the tasks and positively contribute to workplace performance.
Ergonomically-Designed Chairs Enhance Productivity
Office employees tend to spend long working hours at their desks, and that's why both the desk and the chair become extremely important when it comes to pieces of furniture that affect your work performance. When you spend a considerable amount of time sitting at a chair that's not ergonomically designed, it can lead to several postures and other health concerns, including backache, neck pain, and other musculoskeletal problems, affecting your productivity workplace performance.
An ergonomic office chair is specifically designed to provide support and comfort to strained areas during the sitting position. An ergonomic office chair comes with adequate support for the back, neck, arms, and hips, which plays an integral role in preventing musculoskeletal disorders. And when you feel better, you concentrate on your tasks in a much better way that boosts your workplace performance and productivity.
Height-Adjustable Desks Support Your Body and Enhance Your Performance
Apart from the chair, your desk is the next most critical piece of furniture that can impact workplace performance and productivity. In addition to ergonomically designed chairs, height-adjustable desks can also boost your workplace performance and productivity.
When you invest in a height-adjustable desk for your employees, it allows them to sit or stand at your convenience and better concentrate on the task at hand. Moreover, height-adjustable desks are better for health than fixed desks because standing is healthier than sitting. It can significantly reduce your risk of Type II diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other health concerns, such as metabolic disorders that are associated with prolonged sitting.
Furthermore, in addition to being able to adjust the height that best suits the needs of every individual at work, height-adjustable desks are a great tool for helping employees create a comfortable and supportive workstation that's specifically tailored to them, the benefits of which extend to enhanced workplace performance and productivity.
However, if you already have fixed height desks, that doesn't mean you cannot have an ergonomic work set up for your employees. With a fixed height table from a reliable supplier such as Flexispot, you can create an ergonomic workspace. For example, the Fixed Height Table FD1 -47”W is a great multipurpose desk suitable for both workplaces and homes.
With a sturdy construct and easy assembly, this versatile fixed height table from Flexispot is compatible with other ergonomic tools such as standing desk converters, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of height-adjustable desks without investing in them. So why not create an ergonomic workspace for your employees and boost their workplace performance by making simple investments in furniture such as Fixed Height Table from reliable suppliers such as Flexispot, an industry leader in ergonomic office furniture and beyond?
The Right Furniture Placement Encourage Employee Mobility
For employees based in an office, prolonged sitting and a sedentary lifestyle are the biggest concerns that affect their well-being, productivity, and workplace performance. However, with appropriate placement of the furniture, you can enhance the well-being of your employees and give them enough space to move throughout their working day at the office, and overcome the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle.
Get the Office Furniture You Need
Now that you know that furniture design, style, and placement can affect the workplace performance of your employees, you need to make some informed choices about the right type of chairs, desks, and other pieces of office furniture that can boost your employee's performance and productivity.
If you are looking for ergonomic office furniture for your workspace, including ergonomic chairs, desks, and storage solutions, get in touch with Flexispot. We offer ergonomic solutions to help your employees live a healthier life and be more productive at work or their home office.
To learn more about our ergonomic office furniture and other products that we offer, visit our website or reach out today to learn more and find out ways to help boost your workplace performance and overall quality of life.
