Working in an office can see employees spending up to 75% of their time sitting down. The good news is that 95% of these workers want to reduce this.
Researchers at Loughborough University and the University of Leicester have shown through a controlled trial that reducing sitting time at work improves health, wellbeing and work engagement.
Up to half a million employees across the UK have reported a work related musculoskeletal issue. The cost to workplaces across the country is huge with £12.2bn spent annually on presenteeism and £10.6bn on sickness absence. In Greater Manchester alone businesses are spending over £90m a year on sickness absence. The lack of employee activity and time spent sitting could be contributing to these huge costs.
The good news is that a reduction in sitting of just one hour can make an impact and this can lead to employees;
As an employer this can help to bring down those costs in absenteeism and presenteeism. Building activity into the working day and making it the norm can help with this as well as providing standing desks as an alternative to sitting all day.
For helpful tips on how to enable Active Workplaces register for the Active Workplace Toolkit by Clicking Here.
Read more from the controlled trial conducted by Loughborough University and University of Leicester Click Here.
For more on the business case for standing desks from SMART Work Click Here.
Here's a strong example of GM Moving’s wider vision: creating positive movement experiences for everyone in Greater Manchester, rooted in community, equity, and joy.
Between July and September, Sport England is spotlighting ‘connecting communities’ from its Uniting the Movement strategy, showing how place-based approaches get people active in new ways. This highlights GM Moving’s work and our partnership with 10GM supporting VCSE groups across Greater Manchester.
We’re thrilled to be part of one of the official Fan Zones in Piccadilly Gardens, bringing people together to celebrate across two exciting match weekends.