Working in the world of ergonomics for the past 10 years, I have seen and spoken to countless office workers. These employees work in cubicle settings, in private offices, or are home workers. One thing is common: most become uncomfortable and experience pain at their primary workspace at least once throughout the day.

Media outlets love to share their thoughts on the viability of the sit/stand option. Since most experience discomfort during the day, they listen to the media and soak it up. So, companies started to mass-produce adjustable height desks. Because these desks force the business furniture buyer to purchase new desks, not everyone thought it was such an affordable idea. Plus, many people wanted to buy their own for personal use, even if their company wasn’t going to pay for it. That’s when VariDesk came in and their marketing team helped promote a less expensive alternative to the sit to stand market. VariDesk and their competitors like ESI Ergo Lift, Ergotron’s Workfit, Humanscale’s Quickstand all started advertising to businesses that want to help their office employees retrofit their existing desk so the office worker can also stand.

Ergonomic consultants began investigating the advantages of the VariDesk, Humanscale and Ergotron options. After doing so, ergonomic consultants report that less than 10% of the population can truly benefit from these retrofitted items that simply sit on the desk.  The number one reason why it doesn’t work is because 90% of users hands while sitting will be higher than their elbows and ergonomically speaking they should be about parallel. As a result many ergonomic business manufacturers started to create new items such as the Humanscale Quicksand Lite, Ergotron WorkFit-A and WorkFit-S, ESI Ergo Climb and the Workrite Solace. All of these operate in the same manner – monitor arm with an attached keyboard tray, so the employee can move the keyboard and monitor, simultaneously. In all these cases, the employee can have the keyboard go below the work surface creating proper ergonomic alignment.  At this stage, ergonomic consultants became much more satisfied with the advantages as 100% of the employees can benefit.

Because of these lessons, Perfect Fit Ergonomics with corporate offices located in Ventura County, California, spend numerous hours working with ergonomic consultants, interior design firms, and space planners prior to recommending products. Shipping and installing nationwide business furniture specializing in ergonomics has made PFE a go to company to help keep employees on task, engaged and comfortable.

by Joe Oliveri, Co-Founder of Perfect Fit Ergonomics.

When Joe is not helping promote ergonomics in the business setting, he can be found at Santa Monica College teaching business courses. He is also a member of ASSE and volunteer’s as the Communication Chair for the Valley Coastal Chapter.