Cubicle discomfort can hinder employee performance

Tuesday, 10 May 2011 16:00

News - Employee Performance

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Employee performance is significantly affected by the comfort level of a workplace, according to research from the UK's Health and Safety Executive branch.

The report indicates that approximately 64 percent of workers have suffered from injury or sickness because of an uncomfortable workspace. As a result, a total of 23.4 million working days were lost in 2010 due to work-induced illnesses.

In addition, employees are more likely to move around frequently during their shifts if they are not at ease. The study estimates that, per employee, fidgeting leads to about 39.2 minutes of lost work time per day. That equates to about 18.1 days of lost production from each worker per year.

This month, Fellowes, a provider of ergonomic technology, launched a campaign to study potential solutions to these troubling trends.

By implementing corporate wellness programs, employers may be able to address these issues before their businesses suffer the consequences of an uncomfortable workforce. Many companies have found that e-learning software is an effective way to educate and engage their employees about work-related initiatives.

According to Discovery Health and Fitness, uncomfortable cubicles and workplace furniture can ravage the human body by triggering recurring problems in the back, neck, shoulders, legs, wrists and eyes.