Your office chair has witnessed all the wins and struggles you endured in your work life. It saw you when you were pulling an all-nighter or working overtime to beat a deadline.
It also saw you celebrate your promotions and maybe even shed a tear or two during particularly stressful days.
But like any other furniture, your office chair also has its end, and it’ll eventually start showing signs of wear and tear. However, these signs aren’t always obvious. In fact, most people tend to adapt to the gradual changes in their office chairs until, one day, they realise that they’ve been putting up with unnecessary comfort for months. According to a survey involving 382 office staff, 68.75% of them believed their discomforts were mainly brought by their office chairs. (1)
For Melbourne professionals spending 38+ hours weekly at their desks, knowing when to say goodbye to your faithful office chairs is important. Otherwise, your health, productivity, and overall workplace satisfaction could suffer. Here are the key signs it's time to thank your office chair for its service and welcome a new, ergonomic replacement that will support you for years to come.
1. You Suffer From End-of-Day Backaches
Remember when you could sit for hours without feeling like you’d aged twenty years by 5 PM? If you and your officemates are constantly stretching, shifting positions, or complaining about back pains, your chairs might be the culprit. Modern ergonomic chairs are designed to support natural spine alignment and minimise pressure points that cause those notorious aches.
So, to discover your perfect chair, now’s the time to start browsing from reputable office furniture shops and find a brand new one. You can either order one that’s similar to your current chair or upgrade to an even better option with added features like a headrest and adjustable armrests. The goal is to find an office chair that fits your unique body type and work habits.
2. You Feel Embarrassed With Your Chairs
If you find yourself strategically steering your clients away from certain cheap chairs or apologising for torn upholstery, wobbly seats, or mysterious stains, it’s definitely time for new office chairs.
Keep in mind that for reputable businesses, appearance matters. Entertaining your clients with weary office chairs in the background could give them the impression that you don’t care about your company’s image. Those chairs might have served you well for years, but if you’re starting to feel embarrassed about them, it may be time for upgrades.
3. Productivity Levels Are Affected 
Have you noticed yourself or your staff members frequently standing up or taking walks to different departments or offices during working hours? Sure, encouraging movement throughout the day is healthy. But when it’s happening too often than necessary, it could be due to chair discomfort. Eventually, this could impact everyone’s productivity levels.
According to Slack’s latest survey, 82% of their respondents said the key drivers of their productivity levels were feeling engaged and happy at work. And what better way to foster these feelings than providing them with comfortable office chairs? When employees are seated at ergonomic chairs, it’ll be much easier for them to stay seated and remain focused on their tasks. (2)
4. Adjustment Features Are Failing
Quality office chairs should be adjustable to suit different body types, body sizes, and preferences. If your chairs' adjustment levers are broken, stuck, or missing altogether, you're missing out on the ergonomic benefits they used to provide.
A proper office chair should allow adjustments for height, armrests, backrest tilt, and lumbar support. If these features aren’t working properly, you and your team members can't customise your seating for maximum comfort. This will lead to poor posture and potential health issues in the long run.
5. The Chairs Are Making Noises
Office chairs aren't supposed to be making any squeaking, clunking, or creaking noises every time you sit on them. But if they do, it only indicates structural issues. These noises can be a source of distraction for you and your officemates, impacting your productivity at work.
On a more serious matter, these structural issues, when ignored long enough, could cause your chairs to fail or completely break down, resulting in accidents. As per data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2,000 hospitalisations were caused by injury stemming from falls involving chairs. No one wants to see themselves or their co-workers in a preventable chair collapse. (3)
So, next time you hear unusual noises from your office chairs, check for loose parts and address any issues promptly. Better yet, replace them with new, sturdier ones for a safer business environment. This will be much easier (and safer) for the company than dealing with workplace injuries.
Key Takeaway
Your office chairs are directly tied to your team's health, comfort, and ability to perform at their best. Thus, when you see these signs on your office chairs, you’re encouraged to act promptly and replace them. Doing so demonstrates that you value your employees' well-being and are committed to providing a modern office that supports their best work.
References:
- “Seating Comfort Satisfaction Level of Office Workers and Their Expectations from an Office Chair”, Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341264685_Seating_Comfort_Satisfaction_Level_of_Office_Workers_and_Their_Expectations_from_an_Office_Chair
- “Job Satisfaction Is Key To Workplace Productivity, But How Do You Get It?”, Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/barnabylashbrooke/2023/07/13/job-satisfaction-is-key-to-workplace-productivity-but-how-do-you-get-it/
- “Injury in Australia: Falls”, Source: Injury in Australia: Falls - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (aihw.gov.au)
