Based on a study published in the Occupation and Environmental Medicine Journal last 2009, about 40% of employees suffer from office fatigue. This is so severe that it has caused businesses billions, and this happened before the dawn of anti-fatigue flooring. The study added that fatigue lowered work performance primarily by doubling the time required to finish tasks and obstructing their concentration.
A Costly Human Error
Even though the majority of employees get tired sometimes, only a few consider how their errors can affect their employer’s business financially. The degree of lost productivity for every health-related cause was greater for fatigued workers with 66% compared to 26% for unfatigued workers. The overall lost time averaged to around 5.6 hours weekly for fatigued workers and only 3.3 hours for unfatigued workers.
Causes and Solution
Besides the environmental aspects that add to worker fatigue, including physical sickness, anxiety and depression, the workplace can also be a factor. An example is your flooring, particularly to those who mostly stand all day. Hard floors can give them back and leg pain that will cause fatigue and ultimately reduce productivity.
There are many ways to manage fatigue in the workplace. Anti-fatigue matting or cushioned floor mats, for one, can address this issue. Many studies recognise its benefits, as they discover that it can considerably lower worker strain, thus increasing productivity.
These ergonomic mats are also available for different types of working environments, such as those with solid tops for spaces unexposed to moisture. There are even some that have a grit surface to gain more traction. For dry areas, anti-fatigue gel mats are most preferred because of its tough exterior that surrounds the gel centre.
In the age where businesses prioritise AI, don’t overlook an essential element of your workforce — your employees. Companies would still have to tend to their needs to keep them happy and healthy, and far from committing human errors.
