Sitting for too long | There's one thing desk workers can do to live longer, here's what it is

Last month, the CIPD reported that the number of UK workers taking sick leave was at a ten-year record high. Our workforce is taking absences more than ever, with 76% of respondents reporting they had taken time off due to stress.

It seems that despite ongoing efforts to increase wellbeing in the workplace, employers are failing, perhaps due to economic strain, to address the pain-points of their staff.

The emergence of remote work has made it even more difficult for businesses to correctly address employee wellbeing. Being in an office allowed managers to ensure staff are taking regular breaks, going for lunch, and having a healthy work-life balance. But in a remote or hybrid model, simple things like having the correct computer set-up or stepping away from your desk aren’t guaranteed. Yet, they can cause serious long-term physical health issues.

Desk worker’s doom

Famously, researchers supported by the company Fellowes created a life-size doll of what they envisioned the future worker to look like – she had a hunched back, varicose veins, red eyes, and a bulging stomach. They created the doll, Emma, to highlight the potential medical problems associated with being a desk-bound worker, spending much of the day sitting down and leading a largely sedentary lifestyle.