The word ergonomic means ‘relating to or designed for efficiency and comfort in the working environment’. So naturally, an ergonomic workspace is designed to enhance employees’ productivity in the workplace. It has to meet their functional needs, include flexibility and wellbeing to provide an ideal workspace. In short, an ergonomic workspace involves providing the best environment for the employees to thrive. 

So, how does it work? How does a well-designed workspace help boost productivity among employees? Well, let’s have a look.

1. Furniture to reduce fatigue

Sitting for long hours and working at one workstation is bound to induce fatigue among employees. This may also result in various issues like backache. The ergonomic office has well-designed furniture to take care of that. The chairs with adjustable parts such as footrest, backrest, armrests prove quite comfortable for different body sizes. Standing desks and desks with adjustable heights allow employees to take breaks while working and enjoy movement to reduce fatigue and other problems. These measures help reduce musculoskeletal disorders in employees.

2. Improved air quality

While working for 8-9 hours a day in the office, people need better air quality, especially in the current scenario when we are facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Research conducted by JLL reveals that poor air quality will impact businesses due to lower productivity from either reduced efficiency or increased absenteeism.

Ergonomic spaces have well-functioning HVACs, which is a must for workspaces to circulate clean air throughout the building and maintain healthier air. The ergonomic office also allows setting temperatures as per the convenience to provide a damp-free environment, free of allergens and dust environment. It also has larger windows to allow natural light and air into the workspace to add liveliness. Healthier indoor air quality reduces the chances of getting sick, reducing absenteeism, and improving overall productivity.

3. Shift in Demography

The workspace has been witnessing demographic shifts, transforming both the workforce and the workspace. As the millennials are now shifting to management positions, Gen Zs join in as freshers to take their place. Now, these generations grew up surrounded by technology and social media. This marks a significant impact on the work culture. A Deloitte report states that the younger workforce is all about solving problems, getting work done, and helping leaders build more flexible and agile organisations. They crave collaboration, work best in teams, and require frequent feedback. An ergonomic office is designed keeping in mind these needs to help them flourish. 

4. Technological leverage

Technology has always been the backbone of driving transformations. Be it laptops, smartphones, superior data storage capacity, or new software ushered in a new area of mobility, it has all helped pick up pace towards growth. A Harvard Business Review article mentions that technology is redefining the meaning of work and an employee’s role in organisations. The rapidly advancing technology is not only facilitating remote work in the current situations but also automating the routine work that traditionally defined people’s jobs.

A workspace with an ergonomic concept incorporates advanced technologies to keep the place thriving. It includes high-end working stations, cloud-based personal communication services, online platforms, no-contact systems, wearables, media streaming, wireless charging, and more.

5. Financial benefits

Running a workspace is a costly business. In fact, for most companies, the physical workspace ranks second or third among top expenses. Maintaining the place while managing a top-quality working environment becomes a pressing budget concern, with leaders being tasked with improving productivity while handling the administrative aspects. That’s where ergonomic workspaces come to the rescue. It allows them to modify the place to accommodate sustainable changes, reducing unwanted expenses, and support creativity and teamwork.

6. Better work community 

The workforce is not just workers; they are people, friends, colleagues, partners, and more, all part of one big community. Creating a work community is essential for companies as it keeps the employees engaged, motivated, and helps maintain a work-life balance. According to a Forbes article, there’s a correlation between the space and the experience of a community. Offices where social connections are facilitated are correlated with a greater community. This consequently leads to greater productivity, engagement, retention and innovation.

Along with creating an ideal place to work, an ergonomic workspace also aims to develop a community that prioritizes wellbeing and promote a healthy working environment where people can grow and prosper. This reflects in their overall productivity and job satisfaction, leading to a happy workforce.

To conclude 

Ergonomically designed workspaces are people-centric. When their wellbeing and needs are taken care of, the attention shifts to more critical tasks, bringing new ideas and innovations and increased engagement levels, thus benefitting the business. This creates a seamless transition between work and life with an ideal space that adapts to their needs.