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Negosentro | For many years the West has been leading the world in developing safe healthy habits at work, whether on the factory floor or in the executive suite. This is part of the sustained drive that put them out in front of the rest of the world for the past century or more. Now though, we’re catching up to them by using their own examples and best practices against them. Love them or hate them, there is plenty we can learn from the West and put to good use in our own workplace.
Going back to the first assembly line created in America by Henry Ford, physical safety in the workplace has consistently delivered measurable economic results. Employees who feel safe at work will quickly turn into loyal, hardworking employees who will return the dedication you show to them and their well being. If you show them the concern of a father for his children, they will respond with the dedication of a child to their father.
Safety First
A company that demonstrates true concern for the safety of their employees before profit, will reap more profit than they could have by putting profit first. It sounds backward but it works every time. A company that emphasizes profit above all else, will be perceived as cold and heartless. This encourages a similar response in return. Why should employees care about a company that obviously doesn’t care about them?
They shouldn’t – and they don’t.
By contrast, a company that puts the health and safety of the employees first will create a reciprocating generosity from grateful employees who will put the company first without any urging from you. Trust breeds trust and concern breeds concern in return. The West calls it the Golden Rule of doing to others what you want them to do to you. Whatever you call it, it works.
Safety And Health
Just as important to employees as their feeling of safety at work is the feeling of being healthy at work. Advances in technology have improved our lives and generated enormous health benefits for employees as the effects of back-breaking labor have been dramatically reduced by machines, computers, and advances of all sorts.
A recent advance the West has discovered is one that is technologically simple but one that has delivered tremendous improvements in health at all levels, physical, mental, and emotional: height adjustable desks. You can visit HADO UK to see examples of these desks.
Advantages Of Height Adjustable Desks
Western researchers have discovered that employees who sit all day suffer from elevated blood sugar levels, increased back and neck pain, fatigue, stress, reduced blood circulation to your extremities, obesity, and increased risk of cancer. All of these are indicators of poor health which in turn leads to depression, loss of interest in work, and a reduced or non-existent social life.
Such workers will become chronically late to work. They’ll be less productive while at work, and will typically try to leave work as early as possible. Their attitude will be uncooperative and/or sullen, with an unfortunate tendency to getting involved in arguments with co-workers and customers.
On the other hand, researchers discovered that employees who stand at their desks, even if only for half the day, exhibit amazing improvements in all these areas in a matter of weeks. They soon become happier, more productive, and cooperative across the board. They start to offer helpful suggestions for improvements around the office, become easier to get along with, come in early and stay late.
In other words, as their physical health improves, so does their mental and emotional health, with tremendous advantages for the company. All this comes just because they stand at their desk for half a day.
The Keyword Is Adjustable
When discussing height adjustable desks, the keyword is adjustable. The height of the desk can be adjusted up or down so the desk can be used when the employee is sitting down or standing. It can be adjusted to accommodate tall stools as well. This allows your employees to sit during the morning, then stand in the afternoon or vice versa.
Some height adjustable desks are moved up and down by electrical motors. Others are counterbalanced so you can move them with a single finger then lock them in place with a locking lever.
The prices are competitive with regular desks and the advantages to the employees in your office, and consequently to your bottom line, are so great that you should look into these as soon as possible.
