A new era of workplace ergonomics is here
Ergonomics. The study of people’s efficiency at work. Though, it’s come to mean “wellness design,” “workplace well-being,” and more. We hear it thrown around in interior design circles and commercial furniture ads. And we see employers clamoring more and more to bring it to their workplaces.
But that’s nothing new. People have been thinking about workplace improvements since the dawn of the office. Take the rolling office chair, believed to have been invented by none other than Charles Darwin in 1840. Or the industrial HVAC system that cools almost powerfully enough to curb a heatstroke, becoming standard during the midcentury.
But ergonomics took center stage during the “sitting disease,” a clumsy name for health issues—obesity, heart disease, musculoskeletal problems, premature death—linked to prolonged workdays behind desks. Offices began seeking alternative furniture, like the standing desk, which grew into a 2.8-billion-dollar industry. Chairs got way more comfortable. And employers started to embrace employee wellness as a philosophy.
But they didn’t stop there.
After COVID, people realized they were happier and more productive in private, interruption-free workspaces at home. So, workplaces introduced focus pods, nap rooms—and full-blown gyms to replicate some at-home perks. Google has swimming pools and putting greens, for Pete’s sake.
Managers also tore down cubicle walls for more open office plans to encourage teamwork. They built private spaces treated with acoustic paneling and soft lighting for quick meets. They installed ample places to brainstorm, such as dry-erase glassboards in every room customized with colors, logos, and slogans. Come to think of it, Clarus has a few products like that. One in particular lets users collaborate literally anywhere in their space.
Like the Atmus Mobile Desk. It’s a mobile dry-erase glassboard with a flip-up desk for meetings and brainstorming. Users can write notes, share them with the group, rest laptops and phones on the desk, roll into another room for presentations, and use the sitting-height desk for solo work. It’s a mobile workstation for anywhere. It’s also available now (link).
Employers dropped a lot of coin on ergonomics these last few years. But they must also be happy with the results. The Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors says, “…effective office ergonomics interventions on average reduce the number of musculoskeletal problems by 61%, reduce lost workdays by 88%, and reduce staff turnover by 87%.” Not bad. And not a big price to pay for worker happiness. Happy workers are 13% more productive, after all. And unhappy workers cost companies 8.8 trillion dollars globally. That may be why 80% of companies have moved to flexible work setups in some form or fashion. Because we’ve realized better working conditions mean better lives.
So, what’s next for ergonomics? Who knows. What we do know is that after years of solemn cubicles and back-breaking chairs, we can safely assume the workforce is more than stoked we’re finally finding a way forward.
