Furniture plays a big role in your business, and the quality of that furniture can directly impact upon the productivity of your staff and, as a result, can play a significant role in supporting or obstructing  the operations of your business as a whole. Office chairs play a particularly powerful role in maintaining productivity, which means that if they are in bad-shape they can be equally powerful in holding productivity back.

The role that office seating plays in overall business efficiency has several dimensions. These include:

Health, Safety and Comfort

At best, a worn-out, old office chair will probably not be terribly comfortable for the worker sitting on it over the course of a whole business day. At worst, it can create ongoing pain and even serious spinal problems in either the back or the neck. People are not likely to get close to their peak productivity level when they are uncomfortably shuffling around on their chair and dealing with distracting pain. If an inferior, worn-out chair causes genuine health problems, this will have even worse consequences and can even lead to legal action in extreme cases.

Irritating Problems

Office seating, more than most other kinds of office furniture, has a tendency to develop very irritating and distracting problems as it becomes worn-out and dilapidated. Common examples include pronounced wobbling, a refusal to roll properly on its castors, an inability to be properly adjusted, or an adjustable back that keeps falling out of position. Alternatively, it may be that some key part such as an arm or a castor has a tendency to keep falling off. These problems are not just annoying for the poor employee who is saddled with such a chair, but a great distraction that can seriously hold back their productivity.

The Psychological Impact

There is much more to these kinds of problems than the distraction they cause. They have a wider psychological impact on employees. If your employees are given worn-out, old office chairs that are uncomfortable, prone to annoying problems, or simply past their best, then this sends those employees a message. It creates the impression that they are not truly valued, and that your business is too cheap to provide them with a decent place to sit or to update their seating when it is clearly worn out. If that dilapidated office seating is just part of a wider office environment in which the furniture is past its best, that message becomes all the more powerful.

Employees who have been made to feel undervalued in this way will have less incentive to work at their hardest and deliver their greatest levels of productivity and overall effort. This feeling may well be subconscious as it is unlikely your employees will actively “slack” unless they are thoroughly miserable, but it can still have a surprisingly strong impact. It also means your best talent is likely to feel less loyal to your business and more inclined to look for jobs elsewhere.

Original Source: https://furniturebayuk.wordpress.com/2016/05/06/your-worn-out-office-chairs-dragging-business-down/ 

Whether you exercise regularly or not, sitting for hours at a time each day can still have a negative impact on your health. Some of these issues may not become apparent for years, like heart disease, but others, like a lack of focus and decrease in productivity can be noticeable much sooner. Business owners are directly affected by poor office seating choices for their employees and should consider more ergonomic office chairs for their staff.

How The Wrong Office Chairs Are Costing Your Business Money?

If you employee a number of office workers chances are they are sitting behind a desk for a majority of the day. Sitting for more than three hours a day can lead to a number of health problems but sitting consecutively for prolonged periods of time put individuals at much higher risks. The most common health problems include:

Back pain or strain from sitting and leaning over a desk for too long.

Carpal tunnel caused from poor posture when typing.                                

Leg problems can occur when Office desk are not the appropriate height for employees to sit comfortably at their desks.

Cholesterol increases when individuals sit for more than six hours a day, which increases their risk a heart disease.

Blood sugar levels also change drastically by going up from sitting too much.

Oxygen consumption decreases in individuals who sit for more than six hours a day.

All these health effects can become noticeable within a few weeks. These factors make employee more susceptible to viruses, infections and other illnesses.

All of these factors also contribute to lack of sleep with makes focusing more difficult. Not only do your employees take more sick days but their quality of work suffers a great deal as well. Your office seating has a huge impact on your business productivity and a simple solution to help combat the negative effects is with ergonomic office chairs.

Benefits Of Ergonomic Office Seating:

1.) Ergonomic office chairs can accommodate all your employees. Where standard office chairs can be uncomfortable and not be the suitable height for many, ergonomic chairs can be adjusted to each employee.

2.) Gives employees the proper back and neck support need to work comfortably and maintain proper posture.

3.) Increase in production results from employees being able to properly adjust their chairs in a number of ways that will reduce additional movements and straining.

4.) When combined with an ergonomic desk employees can sit or stand to do their work. This allows them to break up the amount of time they would typically be sitting when using traditional office chairs and desks.

Most businesses do not realise how the office seating they provide their employees can be costing them money in a number of ways. Poor office chairs results in many health problems that force employees to take more sick days and time off. If you are looking for an easy way to increase productivity and increase the quality of work then simply changing the office seating can be the easy solution.

 If you are interested in new and upcoming office chair and furniture design trends, the following are widely expected to dominate much if not all of 2016 and possibly beyond. Every business needs to stay a notch above new trends in order to remain current, relevant and knowledgeable. In addition, some of these trends emphasize on efficiency and productivity. If you are going to host clients and potential ones in your office, then your wooden office chairs, furniture and workstations need to be on check.

Wooden Office Chairs and Furniture that Promote Conversation and Collaboration

No doubt, but the business environment is doing away with cubical segregation and moving towards more open working environments. The introduction of nooks and privacy pods helps change paradigms, which are a growing trend to promoting distraction-free spaces for employees who need to focus on what they are doing. It’s an organic combination of personal space and collaboration.

This trend has had an impact on the styling of the office. Modern executive offices are becoming more detailed, smaller and intricate. As office demands soar in the office, both ordinary and executive employees will need office chairs are comfortable, possibly covered in leather with longer back-rests and able to rotate with minimal effort.

Convertible Workstations

Workstations are increasingly becoming flexible, and so will be office chairs and furniture. Some businesses have converted the standard sit to stand desk to a complete sit to stand workstations. This can be very beneficial to startup businesses that require office furniture that can grow and expand with them.

Although some companies prefer standing meetings instead of sitting, the office will still need to maintain the traditional look of having office desks and chairs. Businesses still need to make their workers and clients feel relaxed and at ease by having spacious, beautifully styled wooden office chairs and desks. This not only boosts your initial impression (for clients), but it also increases productivity among employees.

The Workplace Will Get A Warmly, Homier Look

Having the right office chairs will also give the entire workplace and warm and homely ambience. Getting employees to spend more time in the office because of quality furniture is set to be a trend in 2016. This will include having solid wooden desks, chairs and other furniture that looks more like dining room chairs and tables to compliment the lighting and give the office a traditional and authentic look that resembles the home. A comfortable and inspirational workplace will make employees feel more motivated and creative to get the job done.

Doing Away with Permanent Layouts

Office chair furniture that allows for greater flexibility and does away with permanent layouts will be one trend on the cards for 2016. Furniture should be designed to have elements move independently and move around easily for a more collaborative and dynamic workplace. 

Providing a pleasant work environment is vital for improving employee morale and boosting productivity. This can be achieved in part by providing an interesting, stimulating environment with pleasant and well thought-out décor. 

Part of this comes down to office furniture choices, and office chairs in particular have the potential to play a significant role. 

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