Office Furniture Misuse – Is the Employer to Blame?

We’ve all seen it – the employee with their feet on the desk, the one who plays with every lever and button on their chair and rapidly goes from sitting in the clouds to sitting in the dust, or the ‘adrenaline junkie’ who leans back further and further before crashing to the floor…

Of course, it’s not appropriate use of office furniture – and it can often lead to serious injury or damage to property. But are the employees to blame? Partly, yes – of course, they should know better. However, should more responsibility be pressed onto the provider of the furniture? You, the employer? Think about it – should Feet-On-Desk Man have had a comfortable working space, would he have needed to lift his feet at all? Or had Fidget-Girl been provided with an appropriate seating solution that gave her the height – or lack thereof – that she needed, would she have needed to play about with the levers on her chair all day? Or how about ‘adrenaline junkie’ – had he been provided with comfortable back support in his seating, surely it would have been virtually impossible to keep pushing that bit further? Hindsight’s a great thing. At the time, however, the result is unfocused, uncomfortable and, consequently, unhappy employees.

For many employers, office furniture can be an afterthought – a desk and chair should suffice, right? Wrong. Much thought and deliberation should go into the furniture solutions provided in your workplace; get it right now and avoid poorer results, possible injury and property damage later.

A few tips on getting it right first time…

• Choose a furniture provider that is happy to listen to your needs and requirements. Ensure that they will take the time to understand exactly what it is that you need and can provide total turnkey solutions
• Speak to your employees. Find out their views and opinions
• Ensure that all employees undergo regular risk assessments that ensure their needs are adequately catered for

Over to you – How does your workplace fare when it comes to furniture solutions?

Vergo UK provides interior solutions and office designs furnished with real expertise. We design, suggest, select and create, utilising the latest commercial furniture, office supplies, seating and workstations to shape quality office interiors for workplace environments.