Is it time to turf the humble office desk?
The humble office desk is at least partially to blame for the onset of many modern health complaints, including back pain and weight gain – and several organizations are stepping up to combat it.
A recent Vic Health report in Australia found that up to 22 per cent of all sick leave across the nation can be attributed to problems related to prolonged sitting, which is driving a move towards standing desks, said to help encourage a less sedentary lifestyle.
A start-up incubator in Latvia tested the concept of stand up desks using an app to measure productivity, which found that productivity increased by around 10 per cent when employees were standing and working, versus sitting and working.
Perhaps this is why in Denmark, employers are legally required to offer their employees adjustable desks?
Meanwhile in Amsterdam, one organisation has taken the concept of standing desks to the next level.
At the offices of Dutch design firm Heldergroen, at 6pm every day, the company's desks are lifted via steel cables to the ceiling. The floor is also cleared of any remaining furniture.
By evening, the space is then rented for free to the community, to be used as a dance floor or yoga studio.
Heldergroen creative director Sander Veenendaal said their evolving workspace achieves myriad goals, as it's helping the company to build its brand, establish its culture and improve its workers' lives.
“We think that doing activities like this makes it easier for people to work here,” he told Fast Company.
“You know when it is time to relax or do something else that inspires you.”
A recent Vic Health report in Australia found that up to 22 per cent of all sick leave across the nation can be attributed to problems related to prolonged sitting, which is driving a move towards standing desks, said to help encourage a less sedentary lifestyle.
A start-up incubator in Latvia tested the concept of stand up desks using an app to measure productivity, which found that productivity increased by around 10 per cent when employees were standing and working, versus sitting and working.
Perhaps this is why in Denmark, employers are legally required to offer their employees adjustable desks?
Meanwhile in Amsterdam, one organisation has taken the concept of standing desks to the next level.
At the offices of Dutch design firm Heldergroen, at 6pm every day, the company's desks are lifted via steel cables to the ceiling. The floor is also cleared of any remaining furniture.
By evening, the space is then rented for free to the community, to be used as a dance floor or yoga studio.
Heldergroen creative director Sander Veenendaal said their evolving workspace achieves myriad goals, as it's helping the company to build its brand, establish its culture and improve its workers' lives.
“We think that doing activities like this makes it easier for people to work here,” he told Fast Company.
“You know when it is time to relax or do something else that inspires you.”