[VIDEO] This is what workers of the future will look like

'Emma' embodies what two decades of a sedentary work life would do to your health

BY Rachel Ranosa 27 Nov 2019

Working long hours in the office can take a toll on your well-being.

If you aren’t convinced yet about the impact of modern work on your overall health, then perhaps it’s time for you to meet Emma – an ultra-realistic replica of your future workmate.

“We’ve created a representation of the work colleague of the future,” noted futurist William Higham, who worked with office equipment company Fellowes Brands to come up with the replica.

Emma is a life-sized model that literally embodies what two decades of a sedentary, desk-bound work life would do to workers’ physical and mental health.

In the UK, for instance, workers spend eight years of their lives sitting down – and it’s affecting millions of people in ways never before imagined.

“What we’ve actually identified are danger areas around the office,” Higham said. These dangers of the modern workspace include poorly designed office stations and the lack of proper ventilation and lighting in most work areas.

Emma provides a visual representation of all the possible ailments employees might suffer from, after years of neglecting their health in such environments:

A permanently bent back caused by sitting for hours in a poor position
Varicose veins from poor blood flow caused by sitting for long periods
A rotund stomach caused by sedentary working
Dry and red eyes from long hours staring at a computer screen
Swollen wrists and ankles from repetitive movement
Sallow skin from over-exposure to artificial light
Eczema caused by stress
Red forearms and upper legs due to regular contact with laptop heat
Hairs on her ears and nose and swollen sinuses because of poor air quality

“It’s too late for Emma now; but there are many things we can do to take better care of our health at work,” Higham said.

“Employers and employees both need to take some responsibility for healthy working. By taking an online healthy workstation assessment, moving around more, and taking regular breaks, we can avoid health problems as bad as those we thought we’d left behind in the Industrial Revolution!”