OLOGY: The Desk Designed For Wellbeing

London, 2nd April 2014: People turning up for work unwell and record stress levels are driving the need for workspaces that deliver major wellbeing benefits for companies and their employees.

Steelcase today unveils Ology, an innovative new desking system that plays a key part in ensuring employees’ wellbeing.

Wellbeing has become a bottom line issue for employers globally as people’s sense of health and wellbeing is in decline.

Following a worldwide research analysis project, Steelcase has unveiled a new definition of wellbeing and six factors for designing a health-conscious workspace.

This new definition necessitates a holistic approach to wellbeing, uncovering that the mind, body and environment are intrinsically linked. Organisations and companies must now consider the physical, psychological and cognitive needs of workers.

In an effort to develop health-conscious working environments, Steelcase is now launching Ology, which addresses the physiological and biological aspects of workplaces and can deliver significant wellbeing benefits to companies and their employees.

Recent global research has shown:

• 30% of European workers say they are exposed to stress. • 27 million working days are lost to work-related illness or injury. • £15 million is spent per year on mental health ‘presenteeism’ in the UK alone. • 41% drop in health care costs for employers whose workers enjoy thriving sense of wellbeing. • 72% of workers report for work despite being unwell. • Workers in open plan offices take 63% more sick days than those working in personal offices. • 80% of infectious diseases are transmitted by touch.

“Around the world we’re witnessing a growing assault on many aspects of wellbeing. Obesity is increasing, people come to work sick, stress levels are at an all-time high and two-thirds of workers believe that information overload had lessened job satisfaction and damaged their personal relationships,” Allan Smith, vice president of marketing and applications for Steelcase.

“We continue to strive to develop health-conscious work environments and products that promote posture change and provide ergonomics tailored to individual needs have a vital role to play in achieving this objective. This serves the interests of both employers and employees”, Smith continued.

Ology has been designed for wellbeing. Workers do not change postures enough during the working day. Posture change helps energy levels, improves productivity, helps prevent weight gain and cardiovascular diseases and reduces musculoskeletal discomfort.

Ology promotes posture change through its five different height adjustment settings and features a soft edge profile which reduces pressure on wrists and forearms and reduces neck and shoulder fatigue. The desk’s seamless edge provides a smooth transition between the surface top and edge creating the illusion of a single flowing solid surface.

Ology features BactiBlock® antimicrobial technology that can be applied to power and data points, worksurface edges and desk pads and height adjustment controls. Bactiblock® is moulded into the parts and is released to the surface over time, making it durable and efficient.

It uses naturally occurring silver that comprehensively attacks microbes making it almost impossible for them to develop resistance.

“With around one third of the global office workforce being mobile, the reality is that that the more we share desks, the more we share germs. It therefore makes sense to develop a product that can make a real difference in the transmission of germs”, Smith continued.

“The transition from assigned ‘I spaces’ to shared ‘we spaces’ globally has created opportunity for the intelligent, strategic use of antimicrobials in support of wellbeing.”