Banner Blog

The typical office worker will sit at their desk for over 1,300 hours this year, 10,000 hours just eight years into their career, and 53,000 hours by the time they retire.

Data shows that despite growing concern for the health and wellbeing of employees, desk-based employees are estimated to spend 70% of their working day sitting down.

Searches for “hip pain” and “chair pain” are on the up, while searches for "back ache" remain high, all symptoms associated with chronic inactivity.

Jason Thomas, Strategic Sales Manager at Banner, says: “As it’s often cited that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert within a given field, most of us will be a pro at sitting five times over by the time we retire. With numerous health issues associated with long-term sitting, this is a growing concern for employers across the UK.”

Promisingly, searches for solutions, such as “standing desk” and “ergonomic chair” have also risen since COVID-19, which suggests workers are beginning to address the health implications a sedentary work schedule can cause.

Jason Thomas continues, “To encourage a healthier workplace, employers should make sure office and home work-stations are set up with health and wellbeing in mind. It’s great to see standing desks and under-desk treadmills being more widely adopted in recent years, but there’s more that can be done. Cultural changes, such as walking competitions, no-chair meeting rooms, discounted gym memberships and lunch-time yoga classes, can all help encourage employees to become more active while at work. A healthier workforce will improve productivity, long-term absenteeism and demonstrates that as an employer, you have your employee’s back – so to speak!”

Searches for “Chair pain” in the UK over the last five years:

Searches for “Hip pain” in the UK over the last five years:

Searches for “Back ache” in the UK over the five years:

Searches for “Standing Desk” in the UK over the last five years:

Searches for “Ergonomic Chair” in the UK over the last five years:

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To get in touch with Banner, please call your account manager or call on 0843 538 3311. To become a customer visit https://www.banneruk.com/contact/