The place of work is where we spend a good part of our time and must be as comfortable as possible to encourage greater well being and health for staff members.

The design of office furniture has evolved over the years as a direct result of the increasing influence of IT on the office environment and the changing functions of the people within it. In the modern office, daily tasks can be achieved without the user leaving their 'workstation'. As a consequence of this, office workers are becoming more and more static as more tasks can be achieved from the seated position via the PC. This office evolution creates a number of key areas for consideration, including:

Furniture
Legislation has been introduced to control the characteristics of workstations and chairs for computer users. It reduces the chance of any physical and mental strain caused to the user by working at unsuitable workstations and it also reduces the chances of any claims made against an employer by an employee who does suffer an injury which could relate to a non-compliant workstation.

Office Layout
Many offices function without a well thought-out plan that addresses the current needs of the business, as well as accommodating any growth for the future. As a new employee arrives, an extra desk is usually shoehorned into the most accessible corner of the office without a great deal of consideration being given to lines of communication, work flow, access etc. It is more important to identify whether or not change in office layouts should be made.

Finishing Touches
The use of screens and coordinated colour schemes will transform an office from a noisy and low productive workplace into an efficient operating environment.

Providing a good working environment will achieve much more than cutting costs to the point where staff feel they are unimportant.