Organizations have the responsibility to guarantee healthy working environment for their employees. Ergonomic office equipment plays a lead role in ensuring the health of the employees and improving productivity. In addition to the furniture pieces, companies also need to focus on the design of computers and accessories like headsets, keyboard and mouse.
However, a recent survey conducted by headset maker Jabra and international market research firm YouGov finds that there is huge demographic divide in the distribution of ergonomic working equipments, and these equipments are available to the educated few in the 12 surveyed countries.
The distribution of ergonomic devices within an organization is not uniform, the survey said. It depends on your level of education and the department you work. For example, employees working in management or IT department are likely to possess ergonomic mouse than any other group of employees.
Similarly engineers have more adjustable tables than any other work group. Finance departments have the lowest ergonomic score of all within the office space. A mere 16 percent have an adjustable table compared to 32 percent in the IT & Support department.
Adjustable chair is the most popular ergonomic equipment, according to the survey.
The ergonomic equipment divide is not only evident among various departments but is also different among different countries. If you are working within an office in the UK there is a 20 percent chance of you having an ergonomic keyboard or adjustable chair (48 percent) compared to Japan where only 7 percent have an ergonomic keyboard.
However, the survey finds that 10 percent of UK office workers don’t have any ergonomic equipment at all.
There is a direct link between your education and getting the right equipment in your office. The research proves that if you are holding a higher degree like a Ph.D, you are twice as likely to have an ergonomic mouse as someone with a more general education - up to secondary school level.
For example, 70 percent of the higher educated are offered a headset compared to just 50 percent without a degree or with a more general education. The higher the degree you have, the higher your chances of getting a wireless headset, the report said.
Wireless headsets are emerging as one of the most ergonomic tools among today’s workforce, especially those engaged in customer interactions. About 94 percent of the UK-based respondents said they feel more efficient after having switched to a wireless headset – regardless of their education level.
The use of wireless headsets makes employees more efficient in the U.K because 64 percent of UK-based office workers now have a work radius of 2.5 meters or more, which calls for equipment that enable mobility.