Sit-Stand Desks: Better for Employees, Better for Employers

A sit-stand desk, or standing desk, benefits workers and businesses alike. For employees, it combats problems associated with sitting, alleviating aches and pains, improving posture, increasing circulation and boosting mental health. The average Brit sits down for 8.9 hours per day and sitting for too long can have such a serious effect on physical and mental health that it has been compared with smoking. And for businesses, the results can be striking: more effective, focused and engaged employees, an increase in productivity and a reduction in absenteeism which has a genuine effect on the bottom line – sick days lost due to lifestyle-related diseases is costing the British economy over £8.2 billion per year.

Why Sit-Stand Desks?

Issues around wellness are becoming ever more important to businesses. Employees who use sit-stand desks are 71% more focused, 66% more productive and 33% less stressed.* Unsurprisingly, when workers are happy in their work environment, they tend to be more engaged, more creative and more productive which has a knock-on effect for businesses – not only in terms of productivity but also on talent retention. A report by Oxford Economics says the average cost of replacing a member of staff is £30,000 and, according to Glint, disengaged employees are 12 times more likely to leave their job than a highly engaged one.

How Much of My Day Should I Stand For?

According to Active Working, metabolism slows down by 90% after you have been sitting down for 30 minutes. After two hours, the ‘good’ cholesterol drops by 20%. Different sources offer workers different advice, varying from the extreme of standing for 45 minutes out of every hour to standing for five minutes when you can. Public Health England recommends that employees use a sit-stand desk, suggesting that those new to standing desks begin by standing for two hours per day, and keep increasing the amount over time until they’re standing for four hours per day.

Standing for 15 minutes per hour will increase weight loss and improve mental health. It will burn 20,000 more calories per year* – the equivalent of six full marathons – and make employees healthier, happier and more productive.

Is There a Maximum Time I Should Stay Standing?

As well as a maximum recommended time sitting, there is also a maximum amount of time employees should stand. An expert in Physiotherapy from Australia’s Curtin University found that although problem-solving abilities were increased in working adults after two hours, mental reaction time decreased. Standing for too long also led to physical effects – 47% of participants reported an increase in physical discomfort, particularly in the lower back and lower limbs. Many experts agree that standing for five hours is not good for you and it could lead to an increased risk of heart disease.

A stand-up desk offers a smart and seamless way for employers to offer their team the best of both worlds – standing desk benefits with the respite of sitting when required.

Standing Desks: How Can They Benefit You?

Is there anything you have always wondered about sit-stand desks? This is your opportunity to ask. Please send any questions you have to @_Staverton_ on Twitter or email them to sale@tahirfurniture.com and we’ll answer them in a future post.

*Sources: National Center for Biotechnology Information, The Council for Health and Disease Prevention, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, European Journal of Preventive Cardiology

Pantone 13-0647 Illuminating + Pantone 17-5104 Ultimate Grey 

Founded in New Jersey, Pantone has been the world’s go-to for anything colour since 1962. Their mission: ‘To unite the science and emotion of colour’.

Every 12 months since the millennium, the outfit has declared a particular colour as ‘Colour of the Year’.

Each year, representatives from colour standards groups across various nations get together for a secret meeting in a European capital. After two days of hot debating, they choose a colour for the following year, and the results are published in Pantone View. 

Designers, manufacturers, and many other consumer-oriented organisations use it to steer their designs, marketing, and product development.

We were taken aback, delighted (and a little flattered) when we saw Pantone’s picks: Pantone Illuminating and Ultimate Grey. The two striking shades perfectly match our colour palette.

In 2016, we chose Yellow and Grey to align with our brand vision. We know how a colour — or the right combination of two — has the power to evoke strong feelings.

Our brand is a set of ideas, emotions and associations that come to mind whenever anyone thinks about Staverton. It’s in our advertising, website and showroom — and every communication that comes from us.

The combination of Yellow and Grey in the workplace is fascinating, with endless opportunities to integrate both tones into an office environment.

2020 was a Classic Blue year in many ways, but Pantone has made a significant shift in tone for 2021.

The two colours come together and speak resilience, optimism, and positivity — something we’re all hoping for more of over the next 11 months.

“The union of an enduring Ultimate Gray with the vibrant yellow Illuminating expresses a message of positivity supported by fortitude. Practical and rock-solid but also warming and optimistic, this is a color combination that gives us resilience and hope. We need to feel encouraged and uplifted. This is essential to the human spirit”.

— Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Colour Institute.

 

As we continue to recover from the initial impact of lockdown, we are very pleased to report that all is going well, following re-commencement of production at Staverton in Rotherham. Our teams are working safely, and production lead-times have returned to near normal.

Activity levels have shown a steady increase month on month, and business levels are higher than initially anticipated, which has been very encouraging.

We have now reopened our London showroom, and should you wish to make an appointment to visit our showroom in person this can be booked by contacting Phil at sale@tahirfurniture.com or your usual sales contact. Alternatively, feel free to have a look at our new Virtual Showroom by clicking below.

Start Showroom Tour

We would like to thank you all for your continued support of our business.

Paul Edward
Managing Director
Staverton (UK) Ltd.

According to the World Health Organization insufficient physical activity is recognised as one of the leading risk factors for death, posing a global public health problem.

Globally, it is estimated that every year, physical inactivity is associated with more than 5 million deaths and is contributing to global healthcare expenditures, as well as lost productivity. While many countries have developed national action plans to tackle growing prevalence of physical inactivity, gaps challenges persist with their implementation, often associated with an uncoordinated or underfunded approach.

Physical inactivity is associated with the onset of a number of different diseases, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer (e.g. breast or colon). The lack of active routines in people’s lives is also associated with a mortality and morbidity burden. A healthy population has a positive effect on a country’s economic output (e.g. measured as gross domestic product). Reducing physical inactivity has a positive effect on a country’s labour force by reducing premature mortality and improving rates of sickness absence and levels of presenteeism. We believe the implications of this study can be far-reaching, informing policy around the world on issues of public health and state budgets.

Adrian Gore, Discovery Group Chief Executive, says; “This ground-breaking study provides proof of the relationship between exercise, productivity, mortality and economic growth. It strengthens our resolve to continue to encourage people to move more and become part of a global health movement”.