Sydney is a dynamic city in Australia and a major cultural and commercial center in the country. It is primarily a service economy and excels in the transport, tourism, entertainment, manufacturing, and commerce & retail industries. An economic hub indeed, Sydney is home to many businesses, big or small.
Companies in Sydney have the best working environments to keep the Australian workforce thriving and healthy. They do this by providing appropriate spaces, furniture, and amenities to their employees. “Office furniture in Sydney” is a well-researched phrase for business owners aiming to foster good relations and an encouraging work environment within their organization. After all, the success of the company starts with happy and healthy employees.
What does a healthy workplace look like?
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a healthy working environment as a place that promotes healthy choices for employees and the absence of potentially harmful conditions. It starts with individual factors such as education and information dissemination about health so that your employees may individually adopt a healthy lifestyle within and outside the office. It is followed by a healthy organizational vision which includes policies and practices that encourage healthy behaviours. Lastly, maintaining a healthy physical space that supports healthy choices among your employees.
People spend one-third of their lives at work. Thus, the physical working environments have a significant impact on people’s health and well-being. In the traditional office, most health concerns are bodily injuries such as back pain, neck strain, eye strains, and general conditions brought about by a sedentary lifestyle. These unfavourable conditions are escalated with improper equipment like uncomfortable chairs or limiting desks. If you find your employees constantly complaining of bodily pains or have frequent absences because of the same reasons, it is time you invest in proper furniture.
The proper furniture for a healthy workspace
The WHO encourages business owners to actively encourage a healthy lifestyle for their employees. Yet, if existing facilities, furniture, and equipment do not align with this vision, your team can only do what their environment allows. There are a few ways you can generally build a healthy working area – through proper furniture and a conducive office layout.
You would want to design your workplace wherein it nudges people in choosing healthier options. So, provide these options for them. If you compare it to a whole building, for example, you will design a well-lit, spacious, and safe staircase that invites people to climb it rather than taking the usually crowded elevator. Furniture-wise, you can introduce ergonomic furniture to your office, which is particularly designed to support the human body in positions that lead to the least health risks. Searching online with the phrase ‘office furniture in Sydney’ yields several options.
You can introduce standing desks or sit-stand desks in a few or all workstations in your office. Employees can alternate between standing and sitting as a subtle exercise, especially since prolonged sitting leads to various health implications. Pair it with an ergonomic chair that encourages proper posture through its various supporting parts. They can also adjust the chair’s height and meet the knee and elbow angles and eye-level recommended by ergonomic experts. These furniture pieces provide control at the individual level, and control is almost always synonymous with choices.
The layout of your furniture and the overall office space also impact your employees’ well-being. Studies show that window views positively correlate with individual productivity, mental health, and physical health. Views, especially of nature, are calming for people and lower workplace stress. Thus, in choosing workstations, opt for furniture that has the least obstruction to window views. Furthermore, you can still provide privacy by using desk panels at just the right height.