As more organizations bring people back to the office several days a week, many employees are returning to workstations that never fit them well in the first place. Others have traded a makeshift home setup for an office desk that suits them no better. The strain shows up in stiff necks, tired eyes, afternoons that lose focus, and lost productivity. National Ergonomics Month, observed each October, is a natural moment to look honestly at what those setups cost, in wellbeing and in dollars, and at what it takes to design workstations that support the people who use them.
National Ergonomics Month is observed every October to raise awareness of how workplace design affects health, comfort, and performance. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) uses the month to highlight research on preventing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)—injuries to muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, and spinal discs caused by sustained physical strain rather than a single accident.
Ergonomics itself is the practice of fitting the work, and the workplace, to the person instead of asking people to adapt to an awkward setup. In an office, that means seating, work surfaces, screens, lighting, and layouts that respond to the individual.
Poor ergonomics carries measurable costs in injuries, workers' compensation claims, and lost productivity. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited by NIOSH, work-related MSDs occurred at a rate of 26.9 cases per 10,000 full-time workers in 2020.
Office work isn't exempt. In the same NIOSH roundup of 2021 workers' compensation data from Liberty Mutual, awkward postures accounted for $4.7 billion in claims costs, and repetitive motions involving small tasks like typing accounted for another $1.7 billion. Those are the risk factors that show up at a poorly adjusted desk: a monitor that pulls the neck forward, a chair that leaves the lower back unsupported, a keyboard at the wrong height.
Other costs are harder to see. Discomfort erodes focus, absences ripple across a team, and people gradually sense that their workplace wasn't designed with them in mind. None of this appears on a single line item, but together it shapes productivity, company culture, and employee satisfaction.
Good ergonomic design gives each person the ability to adjust their workstation to their body and to change posture throughout the day. The core components are:
Ergonomics also extends beyond the assigned desk. Lounge, collaboration, and touchdown areas get heavy use in a hybrid office, and they deserve the same attention to seat height, support, and surface height. For a closer look at individual components, see our guide to designing an ergonomic and engaging workspace.
There is no single best ergonomic chair—only the chair that fits the person sitting in it and the way they work. Two well-regarded options show the range of approaches.
The Haworth Fern pairs a full set of adjustments with a flexible, frameless back that supports the spine as people move, which makes it a strong fit for long periods of focused work. Humanscale's Freedom task chair takes a different approach: a weight-sensitive recline that adjusts to each sitter automatically, with very few manual controls. That simplicity suits shared and hoteling workstations, where people rarely stop to adjust a chair.
As a Haworth Best in Class Dealer that also sources from a broad range of manufacturers, we help clients and design partners compare options side by side. When a space calls for something standard product lines don't offer, our custom furniture brand, Platform, can fill the gap.
Start with the people most exposed to risk, listen to what they're experiencing, and prioritize changes where they'll make the biggest difference. A practical sequence looks like this:
Ergonomics is rarely a standalone fix. The same survey and occupancy data that informs an assessment also feeds a broader workplace strategy and analytics engagement—a wider look at how a space supports the people in it. When our client Electro Rent planned its new headquarters, for example, workstations were outfitted with highly customizable chairs, height-adjustable desks, and monitor arms from the start, as we described in Ergonomics and Workplace Design.
When is National Ergonomics Month? Every October. NIOSH and other organizations use the month to share research and tools for preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
What is the most important ergonomic feature in an office chair? Adjustability. Seat height, seat depth, and lumbar support should be tunable to the individual, not set for the average person.
Does a standing desk solve office ergonomics? No. Standing for long periods creates its own strain. The goal is alternating between sitting and standing throughout the day, supported by a well-fitted chair, monitor, and keyboard.
Do shared or hoteling desks need ergonomic furniture? Yes, arguably more than assigned desks, because several people with different body sizes use them. Chairs and desks that adjust quickly and intuitively make the biggest difference in shared settings.
Whether you're planning an ergonomic assessment or specifying workstations for an upcoming project, contact us to learn how our team can help create spaces that support the people in them.