Ergonomic office furniture is designed to provide comfort and support to the user. By reducing strain on the body, ergonomic furniture can help to improve productivity, alleviate pain and prevent the health problems that can be caused by inferior quality office furniture. When you are considering investing in ergonomic furniture for your employees, it is important to understand what options are available and how they can benefit you and your staff.
Whether they hot desk, work from home or work from an allocated desk in an office, employees spend a significant proportion of each day sitting at their desk. For this reason, when investing in ergonomic furniture, chairs are the first place to start.
Easy adjustability is vital so that employees can share chairs in communal working spaces and chairs can be allocated to different staff members as employees come and go.
The most important function of an ergonomic chair is to ensure the occupant’s body can sit in a safe, upright position that alleviates stress on the neck, spine and hips. Usually, this is facilitated by a supportive headrest for the neck and shoulders, and a backrest that supports the spine’s natural curve. Choosing a chair like this can prevent minor aches and pains and more serious long-term conditions such as neck arthritis.
Our high quality range of ergonomic office chairs includes the Flux Ergonomic Task Chair, which comes with everything you need to tailor the chair to your precise needs, including advanced adjustment features, plus an inflatable lumbar support and a flexible section at the front of the seat, so that the chair doesn’t push against the back of your thighs. Not only that, it’s available in a wide range of fabric choices, meaning that safety, comfort and good quality doesn’t come at the expense of style.
Nearly all of us are aware that sitting at the same desk all day long is bad for our health, however, breaking that habit is easier said than done when no other options are available and there’s a deadline to meet.
One way employers can solve this problem is by installing sit stand desks in the workplace. Already compulsory in Danish offices, these desks offer employees a much-needed alternative to the traditional desk and chair arrangement that we have accepted as the norm for so long.
Research by Loughborough University and The University of Leicester found that standing while working increased productivity. Not only that, muscle activity is nearly 2.5 times higher when standing. This means that spending some time standing while doing tasks also has great benefits for physical health by reducing the risk of injuries, pain and cardiovascular disease by up to 40%.
Here at Lismark, our range of easily adjustable sit stand desks cater for a wide range of tastes and budgets and even includes a two-person version for the ultimate in space-saving and dynamic working.
As every business owner knows, a healthy working environment is a happier and more productive one. In the wake of the pandemic, many professionals are reassessing their work life balance, so the provision of a modern working environment equipped with high quality ergonomic office furniture is now more important than ever.
Ergonomic furniture is the key to the modern, health-conscious office but it’s also important to remember this foundation can be enhanced with keyboards and accessories designed to prevent repetitive strain injury and pivotal monitors made to increase productivity by lessening the risk of eye strain and headaches caused by staring at a screen for too long.
Finally, fostering a culture where regular breaks are encouraged is fundamental, as is ensuring that any employees who work from home are also supplied with the appropriate ergonomic furniture they need to do their job in comfort and safety.
Here at Lismark, we don’t just sell ergonomic office furniture; we work with you every step of the way to understand your exact requirements. As part of this process, our experts will visit you to ensure your new furniture fits and enhances your working space perfectly. To find out more, please email us at sales@lismark.co.uk or call 0116 251 7741.
Choosing good quality office furniture is fundamental in creating a comfortable and productive workplace. However, knowing how to place office furniture is also important to showcase the furniture and give your employees an office interior layout that works well for them.
A well-organised office makes it easier to move around, to store and retrieve important documents and to work without feeling uncomfortable or developing repetitive strain injuries.
Here are five top tips for how to place office furniture in a way that’s pleasant to look at, comfortable to work within, and maximises productivity and output throughout the working day.
Where not to place office furniture is just as important as where to place it. Open space is crucial to allow employees to move around, for safety in an emergency, and to give everyone a sense of comfort and spaciousness.
Keep entrances clear and avoid clustering large, heavy furniture such as floor-to-ceiling storage cabinets, in one part of the office. By dotting them around, you prevent any one area from feeling overly cluttered, and give everyone easier access to storage nearby.
Natural light can help offices to feel more spacious. In areas well away from windows, give employees a choice of bright overhead lighting and controllable task lighting, so they can give their eyes a rest over the course of the day.
You want your office layout to feel balanced, so extend the tip above to include the visual impact of different items of office furniture. Try to have roughly equal numbers of cabinets, cupboards, desks and shelves in different areas.
If you can’t balance items exactly, it’s not the end of the world. However, you may still be able to achieve a more balanced aesthetic, for example by placing a clock, notice board or wall art flat against one wall, to match the visual of a deeper piece of furniture placed elsewhere.
High-quality office furniture is designed to look great, as well as to be ergonomic during use, so choose some statement pieces and make them focal anchor points for your overall office interior design.
Office environments are rarely static for long, so be ready to reconfigure your office furniture layout to accommodate changes in team size, management hierarchy, or anything else that affects where your employees and line managers need to sit and work.
Modular office furniture is a fantastic way to achieve this. Just add more segments to modular seating to extend it, or to add a different configuration of arm rests and side tables. Modular office sofas can have optional back rests, or can be bench-style to allow seating access from both sides.
By using modular office furniture, you can create comfortable breakout areas, divide larger spaces into smaller ‘virtual’ rooms, and make the best use of open-plan office floors without having to put up any stud walls or temporary partitions.
Although open space can make offices feel comfortable and healthy, sometimes employees need privacy, whether that’s to discuss confidential business, or just a personal desire to work away from the noise and hubbub of the rest of the office.
If your office layout is dominated by open-plan or you’re still deciding how to arrange office furniture in a new workplace or refurbishment, consider whether private work booths could be the key to your office productivity.
Private work booths and individual office pods create cubicle-style spaces for employees to work in privacy and confidentiality and can be conducive to productivity when individuals need to focus on demanding or time-consuming tasks.
Not all of your workstations need to be assigned to a designated individual. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, more offices are allowing employees to work flexibly, and even when the pandemic is no longer a health concern, remote working can save on overheads and keep employees happy by reducing the daily commute.
Modular office furniture is again a great way to make sure you still give everyone the workspace they need, with comfortable hotdesking areas that can adapt to the changing nature of your flexible workforce in the years ahead.
Give your employees good quality office furniture and they will feel valued, even when they do not have an assigned workstation of their own. When you factor in the added bonus of reducing your office operating costs and capitalising on the positive lessons learned over the past few years, it’s a no-brainer.
These days, business owners are increasingly coming to the conclusion that the traditional boardroom table no longer reflects their ethos and way of working. One easy way to update the look and dynamic of your office is with a high meeting table.
Here are five benefits of having a high meeting table in your workspace:
Increased productivity
When you’re sitting at a high meeting table on a high chair or stool, you’re automatically placed in an elevated position, which prolongs energy levels and aids productivity. This is particularly beneficial in longer meetings, where the traditional table and chair set up makes it all too easy to physically disengage by leaning back in the chair, leading to a feeling of tiredness and a lack of concentration. The sense of focus a high meeting table brings also means meetings and brainstorming sessions tend to be shorter and less likely to go off on a tangent.
A flexible option
Many professionals appreciate the health benefits of being able to work from a standing position. With a high meeting table, you can accommodate the needs of both those who wish to stand and those who would prefer to sit. This is the perfect solution for long meetings where participants can switch to standing halfway through without disturbing others or moving away from the table.
Alternatively, a high meeting table can be used as an additional area for your team to hot desk from, giving them the option to move from their desk to continue their work from a standing position. And of course, a high meeting table is the perfect place for impromptu get-togethers or coffee breaks.
A healthy workplace
You may not be ready to invest in sit s
tand desks for everyone, but a high meeting table is a great way to introduce this modern way of working. High meeting tables are considered a healthy choice because it’s easier for your blood to circulate when standing. Standing also requires more muscles than sitting and helps to improve posture and reduce back pain. These factors all help to reduce common repetitive strain injuries reported by office workers, improve morale and reduce sick days.
Creating a style statement
As well as improving workplace wellbeing, our high meeting tables are built to the highest standards of quality and design. They are available in a large variety of heights, shapes and colours and a range of seating options, meaning there is sure to be the perfect option for you.
The inclusion of high meeting tables also improves the look of your interior by creating a feeling of separation to different areas in an open-plan office. Not only does this provide aesthetic benefits, it works on a practical level for employees who need a break from the confines of their desks.
The modern way of working
Most of us have been in stuffy board rooms with long conference tables and leather chairs which make meetings feel very formal, no matter the situation. However, the contemporary feel of a high conference table changes the energy in the room and makes people feel more relaxed, imaginative and open to discussion.
If you’re looking for a high meeting table, we have a great selection here at Lismark Office Products. View our full range, request a quote or get in touch today to learn more.
The landscape of the office has changed dramatically over the past few years. In the wake of the pandemic, many employers are now offering flexible working solutions and opting for hot desking and open plan layouts in place of traditional office setups.
But what does this new style of working mean for productivity? A recent study found that one in three workers feel distractions and noise from open work spaces hinder their productivity, while one in six say it has a negative effect on creativity as well.
Privacy is also a major factor to consider. Some studies suggest the lack of personal space and privacy can cause a slump in communication, collaboration, and productivity in the open-plan office.
So how can employers combat the downsides of the open plan office? Providing private work booths or individual office pods for employees to retreat to could be the answer.
When it comes to furnishing offices, one size does not fit all, so luckily there is a wide choice of options when it comes to providing flexible, modern and attractive individual office pods for your employees.
Many individual work booths come in the form of desk booths, which give employees everything they need for a peaceful atmosphere to concentrate on the task in hand in private and without the passing distractions that working in an open plan office inevitably brings.
As well as built-in desks, many workstation pods come with electric sockets and lighting as well as comfortable seating designed with long periods of work in mind.
No workstation pod will provide sound proofing but most will provide a degree of noise reduction, depending on the design, as well as keeping some sound in, using materials such as sound dampening foam to reduce ambient noise. Also, the privacy and screening provided by work booths mean most workers find it easier to zone out from any sounds around them than they would if they were sitting at an open plan desk where they can also see the source of noise.
For increased peace and quiet and privacy, acoustic pods and office phone booths work well alongside your work pods for times when significant noise reduction or complete confidentiality is required.
Good quality work pods always come with the high standards of design you would expect in terms of durability and style. Due to the robustness of our commercial grade work pods, we carry out installation in your location, however they can be relocated at a later date with careful handling.
Our work pods are available in a huge range of fabrics and colours, meaning making an on-brand style statement is easy whether that involves the palest of pastels to boldest of primary colours.
The end result is a high-quality style statement that will enhance employee happiness in the workplace as well as their productivity.
When opting for a work pod with a built-in chair, it’s important to ensure the seating provided is contract grade and provides safe and supportive seating for a variety of users to work in comfort.
Equally, when choosing chairs for pods without seating, it’s crucial to opt for an easily adjustable and supportive chair to maintain employees’ wellbeing.
While a high-quality office pod will always involve a financial investment, it will pay dividends in terms of longevity and the flexibility it adds to the working environment. Not only that, the increase in employee productivity that providing this kind of space results in, will also save the business money in the long term.
Lismark offer a wide range of work pods and booths with options for any office space. Get in touch today to request a brochure or speak to our experts about finding the perfect work pod for you.
Office breakout areas are all the rage at the moment, driven by the more relaxed approach to office interior design taken by big web businesses such as Google.
But what does the term mean, and is it defined by physical features like your choice of office breakout area furniture or less tangible aspects like how the space is used?
In this article we’ll look at the defining characteristics of an office breakout area and the kinds of office furniture you’ll usually find in one.
The general definition of a breakout area, breakout room or breakout space is a versatile zone that is available for employees to use as and when they want to step away from their own desk.
There is usually not a specific designated use for breakout areas. They may be used to relax, for informal meetings, or to work away from the desk for a while.
The area may be clearly defined by walls, temporary partitions or high-backed breakout area furniture. Alternatively, it may be more open plan and loosely defined.
Breakout areas done right can bring plenty of benefits to a business. Not only do they create extra workspace, relaxation areas and somewhere to casually collaborate, they also provide an interesting setting to meet with visiting clients, stakeholders and other guests.
You can read more about the positive impact of breakout spaces in our article 7 Benefits of Office Breakout Areas.
However, not all office breakout area furniture is the same, so it’s useful to know what’s available and give some thought to what you want from your breakout room, booths or pods.
The modular nature of modern breakout area office furniture means that when you want a change of scenery in your office, you can reconfigure the space to suit your evolving needs.
Stools, tub chairs and two-person meeting pods are at the more compact end of the scale and can be fitted into tighter spaces – with the help of a pull-up laptop table where required.
Larger zones can be furnished using modular seating systems which incorporate elements like corner units, end units, middle seats with no arms, and curved 30/60 degree linking seats.
Modular office furniture is ideal when you want to change the layout of your seating, and this is especially true in breakout zones, where it can help to keep things feeling fresh when it comes to giving your employees somewhere to escape from their desk.
While breakout zones are usually very versatile, some furniture is designed with a specific task in mind.
For example, a freestanding laptop table can be pulled up to almost any seat to provide a temporary desk, or even a side table for snacks and drinks.
Alternatively, an office phone booth provides a comfortable but confidential space to have a phone call, as well as block out unwanted noise and visual distractions from the rest of the office.
Self-contained acoustic breakout pods can also reduce distracting noise from elsewhere in the workplace, while keeping conversations private for participants.
Acoustic pods come in a range of styles, including high-backed bench seating which can feature an open top or be fully enclosed with a roof for even greater privacy. These are ideal for relaxing, holding informal meetings, or even as a more casual working space when paired with a table.
Lismark offer a wide range of breakout area furniture, available in a choice of styles and upholstery to match your branding, company livery or interior design colour scheme.
Get in touch today to request a brochure or speak to our experts about creating your own breakout area.
Modular office seating is a great way to create versatile office interiors. With different sizes and shapes available, you can configure your workspace the way you want it, from an individual modular office chair at each workstation, to collaboration spaces and breakout zones for teams to use together.
We’ve put together 5 of the top reasons you may want to opt for modular furniture in your office.
While modular office seating is not made to measure, it is made to fit all sizes of space. You can do this just by adding or removing a central module to create longer bench seating or a booth layout. Modular office chairs often work alone or alongside one another, with straight, curved and corner segments when you want to change direction.
Good office furniture is designed with ergonomics in mind – comfortable long-term use for employees who need somewhere to sit for hours every day. Modular seating for offices gives staff a choice of where to sit at different times of day, for example during an informal meeting away from the desk or a group training session. High back rests help maintain good posture while cushioned seats remain comfortable even after extended periods of sitting.
As easy as it is to install, modular seating office furniture can be moved equally easily into a new position. Modern materials give modular office seating plenty of strength and durability, while leaving it lightweight enough to move around without heavy machinery.
As the needs of your workforce change, you can create larger seating areas or more individual spaces for solo work. Plus, by investing in a good selection of modular office seating, you can also fill a large area without any gaps, so there’s no lost usable space.
High back office seating makes a natural division between areas and can not only improve privacy by containing sound better, but also create defined zones for collaboration between teams of different sizes.
This is particularly useful in open-plan offices where you want to achieve the effect of separate areas, without introducing floor-to-ceiling false walls and unsightly barriers that remove the sense of space.
Modular office furniture doesn’t necessarily mean ‘off the peg’. Once you’ve chosen a particular style and shape of modular seating, there may still be plenty more options open to you. These can include the colour, fabric and other finishes, as well as the natural bespoke nature of being able to configure where your modular seating goes and exactly which modules you use.
There are many benefits to modular office furniture and especially modular office seating, from the ability to fit any space, to the comfort and durability of the materials used. If you’re planning an office refurbishment and need new furniture, go modular and you’ll make an investment that should see you through many years to come.
The open-plan office is here to stay. In fact, around 73% of employees in the UK now work in some form of open-plan office, according to data from Savills. Open plan offices are cost effective, can foster a sense of community in the workplace and will allow employers to provide flexible working spaces in a post-pandemic world.
On the other side of the coin, however, lies a whole host of issues around concentration, productivity and of course privacy. A recent study conducted by Bospar cited the main reasons why employees in the US do not recommend open offices as being a lack of privacy (43%), noise due to personal conversations (34%), poor concentration (29%) and risk of sensitive data leakage (23%.)
So how can employers solve the need for providing a private space without building additional meeting rooms? Office phone booths, also referred to as acoustic phone pods or quiet booths, can provide a secluded and private space for making calls, taking meetings and even working.
Making phone calls and conducting video meetings is a part of office working life that is both essential and disruptive. Studies have shown that if you are working on something that demands concentration, if you are exposed to speech that is intelligible (i.e., your office neighbours’ sales calls) you can see performance levels drop by as much as 10% . This is not a figure companies can afford to ignore.
The good news is that if you cannot fully hear the words of that conversation, your productivity remains unaffected. This means that acoustic office phone pods which muffle calls could provide enough protection to reduce the impact of these calls, whilst allowing your team to get on with their work.
Whether it’s a discussion about sensitive data or a confidential call, offices should provide a space where its employees feel they can conduct a conversation without being overheard by co-workers. Whilst phone booths don’t offer a fully soundproof experience, many models provide enough acoustic protection to allow you to conduct these sensitive discussions privately.
Adding an acoustic booth can also work as an attractive feature for co-working spaces and other communal working situations where users may not want their personal business overheard by strangers.
Open-plan offices can often see a variety of teams and departments with different routines and needs thrown together into one space. Add to that a steep rise in virtual meetings, hot desking and flexible working hours and you have a potential recipe for a bustling workplace.
Whilst some individuals thrive on this energy, others such as those who are more introverted and/ or suffer with some form of anxiety, can feel highly stressed by the situation. Alongside this there will be times when any employee needs to find a quiet space to put their head down and work on something that requires a high level of concentration.
Acoustic pods and phone booths alone are not a complete solution for this issue, but they can contribute as part of a wider plan to create a healthier working environment. Providing an oasis of calm in a bustling work environment, they can allow employees to take a moment to conduct calls, meetings, and even work in a more private setting with reduced distractions.
On this note, office booths are not just designed for making calls. Many models come with a variety of options for seating, desk space and plugs, meaning you can create a small working space which is ideal for focused work or study time. This flexibility adds value to an acoustic pod and may mean it is used more heavily by employees.
Lismark stocks a selection of pods, from fully enclosed glass phone booths to individual working booths. View our range of office phone booths here or get in touch to discuss options for your office or to get a quote.
The trend towards more open plan workspaces has led to a number of innovations, ranging from sit stand meeting tables and high meeting tables, to work pods and meeting pods.
Lismark supplies the meeting pods and meeting room furniture Leicester businesses need to create contemporary, productivity-enhancing office interiors, with a mix of open-plan and private areas.
In this article we’ll take a look at meeting rooms vs meeting pods, the advantages of each, and how you can choose which is best suited to your needs.
Office meeting pods are an increasingly popular modern alternative to a traditional meeting room.
Instead of four solid walls, meeting pods are freestanding and self-contained, taking the form of a high-sided meeting booth or hut, with or without a roof or other canopy.
Meeting room pods can also include essential features like mounting brackets for TVs and digital displays, USB sockets for charging mobile devices and mains power sockets.
The 21st century concept of a meeting room is not necessarily the cramped, dusty side room that rarely gets used.
In contemporary offices, meeting rooms provide a dynamic breakout space for informal chats, brainstorming sessions, interviews and training sessions, as well as a private place for confidential conversations to be held.
Meeting room furniture has evolved too and high meeting tables allow discussions to take place standing up, while sit stand meeting tables can be easily adjusted to different heights.
This helps modern meeting room furniture to support dynamic discussions and debates, and is also good for reducing the risk of musculoskeletal problems caused by sitting in low chairs for long periods of time.
Meeting pods are a modern and flexible way to create enclosed seating areas for 1-8 people within an open plan workplace.
They offer the best of both worlds, with enough separation to discuss confidential subjects when necessary, but without the seclusion of being fully walled off from the rest of the office.
Meeting room pods can be used for individuals to work without distractions, for face-to-face meetings between two people, or for larger groups of four, six or eight people.
Pods are fast and easy to assemble – Lismark will take care of this for you as part of our delivery service. They can also be dismantled and moved if you outgrow your premises and need to relocate at a later date.
Meeting rooms have their own benefits – the most obvious being that they are a completely separate area where discussions can take place, literally behind closed doors.
Contemporary meeting room furniture combines seamlessly with light, airy interior design to make modern meeting rooms feel more like breakout rooms than the stuffy, formal cupboards they once were.
A closed door sends a clear ‘do not disturb’ message to those outside and can even be locked during high-value meetings that must not be broken up prematurely.
When choosing between meeting rooms and meeting pods, it comes down to a combination of what you need from the space, how it will fit into your wider premises, and sometimes a simple question of personal preference.
If your premises already has side rooms, then equipping these with ergonomic meeting room furniture like sit stand meeting tables is a good way to make use of your real estate.
However, if you’re furnishing a large open plan area, office meeting pods are a modern alternative that avoid more permanent construction work, while creating inspiring spaces for private conversations and collaboration.
Lismark offers a wide range of office meeting pods in a variety of sizes and styles, as well as modern meeting room furniture including sit stand meeting tables and high meeting tables.
Please contact us here or call 0116 251 7741 with any questions about any of our products, or to request a brochure of our complete range of contemporary office furniture.
Following guidance from the government, we have implemented measures which allow us to remain open. The health and wellbeing of our staff and clients is our number one priority, so we will continue to review our practices as required according to government advice.
If you have an appointment at your premises with one of our office furniture experts planned, we will aim to keep this appointment with the 2-meter social distancing rule in place. However, if you have an appointment arranged and are self-isolating or displaying symptoms, please let us know.
Again, our delivery service is operating as normal within the social distancing guidance issued by the government.
Our office is open, so if you have any queries or need any help or advice, please do get in touch. We will be pleased to hear from you.
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