your job dictates your chair - godrej...

Your Job Dictates

Your Chair

Introduction

The “right” chair

A working classification of the kind of

office jobs based on shared characteristics

The “best fit” chair for each

job classification and how to use it

High Action High Interaction Jobs

High Action Low Interaction Jobs

Low Action High Interaction Jobs

Low Action Low Interaction Jobs

Guide to good posture

Conclusion

TABLE OF CONTENTS

P 03

P 04

P 05

P 09

P 09

P 10

P 11

P 12

P 13

P 14

Your Job Dictates Your Chair

High Action

High Interaction Jobs &

High Action

Low Interaction Jobs

P 06Action - Interaction

Matrix

P 07

P 08Low Action

High Interaction Jobs &

Low Action

Low Interaction Jobs

92.6% of workers consider

their chair to be vital for an

effective workspace.

Only 66.7% are

satisfied with their chairs.

INTRODUCTION

”

”: As reported in

workplace effectiveness

(1)measure, The Leesman Index

03

Office workers tend to spend a large portion of their workday

sitting. The work desk and the chair are the most used pieces of

work equipment. Of these, the work desk is usually static, leaving

the chair as the only dynamic or adjustable element of the work

ecosystem for most workers. It follows that the design of the chair

as well as the posture of the user, while seated, have a substantial

impact both on the musculoskeletal health of the individual and on

the ability of the individual to be productive at work. While chair

design has progressed, and more flexible, better supported, and

ergonomic chair designs are available, there has been relatively

little discussion about how different kinds of work influence the

decision of buying the apt chair. Godrej Interio’s Ergonomic

Research Cell set out to study the activities performed by the users

across organizations with the objective of clustering work basis the

interaction levels, tools used, screen time, etc.

In this Whitepaper, we will examine how office work can be classified into groups based on shared

characteristics. We will then see how different demands of work from each group can be better

addressed with specific kinds of chairs.


Sitting for long hours builds up stress in the lower

back, shoulders, arms, and even the legs. Today

the work scenario involves long hours at office,

increased screen time, and reduced physical

activity. Our study shows that 64% of the office

goers spend 9 hours a day seated, and the same

group spends close to 7 hours on their desktop and

laptop. Smart phone usage hours are even more.

Al l this , coupled with incorrect posture

compounds the stress. The spine and the back

muscles are especially stressed.

Ergonomic chair design has traditionally focused

on providing adequate support to the entire spine

and to create a better posture while seated.

Ergonomically designed chairs tend to include

features like:

Ÿ Adjustable seat height

Ÿ Adequate seat depth and width

Ÿ Lumbar support with adjustment

Ÿ Backrest of appropriate height and width with

potential adjustable angle

Ÿ Comfortable padding in the material

Ÿ Adjustable armrests that allow relaxing of the

shoulders

Ÿ Swivel capability

Ÿ Recline mechanism with Tilt Lock or Limiter

functions

In most offices, the workstations tend to be of

fixed height. This means that the height, back

support, and armrests of the chairs have to be

adjusted relative to the workstation for the

comfort of the users. In addition, users adjust the

distance of the chairs relat ive to their

workstations to maintain a comfortable work

posture. It is, however, noticeable that all the

features mentioned above relate to the physical

dimensions of the workers and how they relate to

the workplace. A crucial element missing here is

the work the users do.

Clearly, not all jobs are the same. Every

organization has different functions and different

roles. The nature of the role will dictates the range

of activities the user performs.

In the context of modern offices, this will comprise

a mix of Screen and Non- Screen tasks.

Ÿ Non-Screen Based tasks: Reading, writing,

telephone work, meetings, and conversations.

Ÿ Screen-based tasks: Interaction with the

Desktop, laptop, tablets, and input devices like

the keyboard, mouse, and smart phones.

Different roles demand / have a different mix of

screen and non-screen-based tasks. That apart,

different roles may also demand different range of

action, mobility and physical freedom. Given this

wide divergence in activities, it is apparent that

chair selection must consider not only the USER

but also the TASK he performs. The combination of

right chair and appropriate posture together will

reduce stress and improve the productivity of the

worker.

So, is there a logical way to classify job roles into a

few manageable categories? Then, based on an

analysis of the work and activity, can we define

the requirements they may have from their chairs?

THE “RIGHT” CHAIR?


04

A WORKING CLASSIFICATION OF THE KIND OF

OFFICE JOBS BASED ON SHARED CHARACTERISTICS

Our Workspace and Ergonomics Research cell

conducted an observational study of over 1000

office-goers. The observations were carried out

over a period of time and only those factors were

considered that were performed most regularly

over the course of, what could be considered a

normal day’s work. Considering the factors that

are most closely linked to the “Nature of Work” a

matrix was designed.

There are a variety of factors that can be

considered while trying to categorize the office

job. Based on the nature of work, the analysis

considered 4 parameters:

1. PEOPLE INTERACTION LEVEL – How much does

the job role demand communicating and

interacting with other job roles, functions, and

individuals?

2. ACTION INTERACTION LEVEL – How much does

the job role demand the individual be restricted to

specific postures and workstations? How do they

interact with the workspace ?

3. TOOL INTERACTION LEVEL – What is the mix of

screen and non-screen-based activities that the

individual must perform? What is the mix of tools

the individual is expected to use in the

performance of the allocated duties? This could be

a mix of screen-based tools and other special-

purpose tools, machines, and fixtures.

4. CONTACT TIME LEVEL : Hours of work – How

long is the individual required to work?

Backed by a deep understanding of Indian

workspaces and Anthropometry, we devised a

“User Action Interaction Matrix” that helps

classify workers into different categories and then

helps to determine the recommended features for

the chairs for each category. This “User Action

Interact ion Matr ix” is intended to help

organizations focus on the specific task demands

of individuals.

The analysis

based on

the nature

of work

01

02

03

04

People Interaction Level

Action Interaction Level

Tool Interaction Level

Contact Time Level


05

THIS MATRIX SUGGESTS

4 CATEGORIES OF USER ACTION

Let’s consider the kind of job roles that could fall

into each categorization and the demands of those roles.

HIG

HLO

W

LOW ACTION

INT

ER

AC

TIO

N

High on Screen High on Screen

Moderate on ScreenLow to moderate

exposure on Screen

Junior Management

ADMIN

Date Entry Operators

Middle Management

Creative Professionals

Design

IT Professionals

Sales

Marketing

On field technicians

CEOs

CXOs, Directions, MD

Decision Makers

Senior Management

HIGH

01

High

Action

High

Interaction

Jobs

02

High

Action

Low

Interaction

Jobs

03

Low

Action

High

Interaction

Jobs

04

Low

Action

Low

Interaction

Jobs

ACTION - INTERACTION MATRIX


06

This group involves work profiles like Sales,

Manufacturing, Service, Field Professionals,

and the likes where the individuals are not

bound to their desk all day, but instead move

in and out of their seat.

The range of activities in this category of

jobs combine both Screen and Non-Screen-

based activities. People Interaction is high -4

to 8 hours in a day. It is typically combined

with Non-Screen activities. These jobs

demand low to moderate computer activity.

This Screen activity includes responding to

emails, reporting, and data work. These

activities are typically in the office for a few

hours each day. The rest of their work day is

spent in travelling and in meetings at

external locations.

This group involves work profiles like

Creative professionals, IT professionals, and

middle management. The individuals in

these roles are typically required to perform

specific tasks or specific elemental pieces of

tasks by themselves rather than in groups.

The range of activities in this category of

jobs involves a mix of Screen and Non-Screen

activities. The Non-Screen activities include

reading, drawing, writing, and designing.

The work typically involves long hours of

seating and moderate gadget interaction.

These are jobs that largely restrict the

individual to their workstation and desk, but

which may require changing of postures

from activity to activity.

HIGH ACTION HIGH INTERACTION JOBS 01

HIGH ACTION LOW INTERACTION JOBS 02


07

This group involves Executive level work

profiles like CEOs, Directors, Business

Leaders, and Senior management. These

are typically roles that are tasked with

providing direction. Their mandate is to

drive strategy rather than personally

execute tasks.

The range of activities involves interactions,

meetings, discussions, reading with a mix of

writing, and the use of smart gadgets. Their

work posture is usually dynamic, coupled

with long hours of seating. These roles

mostly demand low computer activity but

may call for multiple gadget interactions

with portable devices like smartphones and

tablets.

This group involves work profiles including

individuals in junior management or people

handling operational level work, admin

staff, data-entry operators, computer

programmers, and some support group

functions. The nature of their work is desk-

based, dominated by heavy computer

activity along with lot of paper work. This

job role largely relies on desktops.

The range of activities involves long hours of

sitting in one posture. The tasks they

perform are repetitive in nature like filing,

typing and using I/O devices like the mouse.

LOW ACTION HIGH INTERACTION JOBS03

LOW ACTION LOW INTERACTION JOBS04


08

HIGH ACTION HIGH INTERACTION JOBS

Feature 3

Lower Back Support /

Seat Depth Adjustment

Feature 2 Feature 1 Feature 4

Midback Chair Multiple Back

Recline

Seat Height

Adjustment

Nature of Work

Light to moderate computer activity, use of laptop,

desktop & smartphone Tool Usage

Not bound to their desks all day, keep moving in and out of the desk Hours of work

Reading , Typing, using Mouse , Interaction & meetings

in different space (conference rooms, clients office)Range of Activities

Work Profile Sales, Manufacturing , Service, On field & Operating Functions

Interaction level

High

High

Action level

Mechanism Suggested

Recommended Feature

Advance Synchro Tilt mechanism

Po

stu

re R

eco

mm

en

da

tio

ns

³ Adjust Seat Height to ensure thigh is parallel to the ground & feet placed well supported

on ground.

³ Adjust seat depth for maximum thigh support

³ Adjust tilt Tension to provide adequate support to upper back while reclining.

³ Adjust armrest to support forearms while working.

³ Change Posture after every 35-40 minutes

³ Look for variable posture change options like standing desk, Recliners etc.

The seating required in this category is for a specific Task. These chairs would demand mid-

back support. They should ideally be equipped with good lumbar support and allow multiple

recline options. This will help relieve the stress from the user’s back as they recline periodically.

It is clear that each job role places different demands

on the body of the individuals as they perform their

tasks. This suggests that the chairs for these roles

should also be equipped with the specific features

that could best support the individuals.

The “best fit” chair

for each job classification

and how to use it


09

HIGH ACTION LOW INTERACTION JOBS

Mechanism Suggested

Recommended Feature


Feature 3

3 D / 2D

Armrest


3 Dimensional

Movement

Seat Height

Adjustment

Seat depth

Adjustment

Nature of Work

Moderate gadget interaction ( desktop/laptop/smartphone/ipad)Tool Usage

Long hours of sitting and mix of screen and non screen activitiesHours of work

Reading, typing, using mouse. Drawing /writing etcRange of Activities

Work Profile Creative professionals, IT professionals , Middle management

Interaction level

High

Low

Action level

Po

stu

re R

eco

mm

en

da

tio

ns ³ Adjust Seat Height to ensure thigh is parallel to the ground & feet placed well supported

on ground.


³ Adjust armrest features as per activity for maximum forearm support

³ Change posture after every 35-40 minutes

³ Look for variable posture change options like standing desk, Bean bags , poofs etc

As we have seen, these are jobs which are

essentially desk based but that require

changing of postures from activity to activity.

The demand thus is for multi-task seating that

adapts to the different postures of the users

and long hours of seating. The chairs should

ideally provide good mid-back support.

Specifically, the chairs for this category should

be equipped with adjustable armrest and

seating features. Armrests with the potential of

2 or 3 dimensional variations that provide good

shoulder and forearm support would be

necessary. An advanced seating feature that

would support the individuals in this category is

three dimensional axial movement. This is an

active seating concept. The aim is to help the

user move, even while seated. This will help

relieve fatigue and stress in the users.

These features should be coupled with dynamic

seating options like poofs, beanbags, and

standing desks.


10

Light to moderate computer activity, use of laptop, desktop & smartphone Tool Usage

Bound to their desks all day, keep moving in and out of the desk Hours of work

Range of Activities

Management

Interaction level

Low

High

Action level

CXOs, Directors & Senior Management

Interactions, meetings, discussions, reading with a mix of writing

and the use of smart gadgets

LOW ACTION HIGH INTERACTION JOBS

This category demands high-performance

seating with advance mechanisms to support

user body and dynamic work postures.

This range should be equipped with adjustable

features to support all the contact points of the

body in the functional range. Features like a

high-back with neck support, seat depth,

armrests, seat height, and lumbar supports

should be adjustable.

This could be coupled with active bio-synchro

mechanisms for maximum impact. The active

bio-synchro mechanism gets activated

automatically in response to the shifting weight

of the user. It keeps the back in the correct

posture regardless of the user’s weight or

seating position. It allows up to 5-degrees of a

range of movement for the recline with a tilt

limiter. This mechanism & the other features will

enable the individual to sit in more relaxed

postures and will support the body throughout

all these activities.

Nature of Work

Mechanism Suggested

Recommended Feature


Po

stu

re R

eco

mm

en

da

tio

ns

Feature 3

Armrest

Adjustment


Multiple Back

Recline

High Back Chair Seat depth

Adjustment


on ground.


³ Adjust tilt Tension to provide adequate support to upper back while reclining.


³ Change Posture after every 35-40 minutes

³ Look for variable posture change options like standing desk, Poofs , Beanbag etc.


11

LOW ACTION LOW INTERACTION JOBS

In this category, the work posture involves long

hours of seating in one position. Any movement

is mostly within the flexion range with more

stress on the back, wrist, and knees.

The chairs in this groups should be equipped

with a centre-tilt mechanism. Here the seat and

back are fixed together and the whole

structure moves together in the same direction.

This provides constant body support and

pressure relief. Upright locking should be

considered as it supports the posture of the

individual while working on the desktop. This

provides good back support and allows the

individual to adjust the seat height as per one’s

own height.

3-Dimensional axial seating, which promotes

the active seating concept, can also be

considered for this category as it allows breaks

from the, otherwise, static posture.

Nature of Work

Mechanism Suggested

Recommended Feature

Center tilt

Posture Recommendations

Feature 3

Midback /

Lowback Chair


Seat Height

Adjustment

Arm Rest

adjustment

Cushioned

/ Mesh Chair

(task specific)


on ground.


³ Change Posture after every 35-40 minutes.

Heavy computer activity, use of mostly desktop Tool Usage

Bound to their desks all dayHours of work

Range of Activities

Management

Interaction level

Low

Low

Action level

Junior management - Admin / Data entry operators

Long sitting, typing & using mouse


12

For all 4 groups, it is important for the

organization, to adopt the correct workstation

arrangement. As mentioned earlier, the height

of the workstations tends to be fixed in most

workplaces. It, thus, becomes important to

place the chair appropriately to ensure

maximum support, support correct posture, and

minimize stress. Here are some quick tips to

ensure that the chair is placed appropriately

from the workstation.

³ The chair height should be such that the

elbows should be at close to 90 degrees.

³ The thighs should be slightly raised (finger

width) at the leading edge of the chair. This

ensures that the feet are placed correctly on

the ground and the chair height is apt.

³ There should be a small gap between the

leading edge of the chair and the calves while

seated all the way back in the chair. This

GUIDE TO GOOD POSTURE

ensures the most appropriate depth of the

seat.

³ The lower back should be forming a slight

inward arch while seated all the way into the

chair.

³ The screen should be at eye level when the

head is looking straight ahead.

³ The armrests should hold the arms such that

the shoulders are loose and just slightly raised.

For individuals, it is important to adopt the correct ergonomic seating posture. It is also

important to take postural breaks every 35-40 minutes along with desktop or spine

stretches.


13

In the modern office, employee comfort is an

essential prerequisite to guaranteeing their

overall health and wellness and to driving

productivity. Providing comfort is not about

buying the best or the most expensive

equipment out there but rather about

providing each individual the support that is

most likely to help that individual achieve

their goals. Office chairs are the most

dynamic and highly-utilized piece of office

equipment and they are subject to the same

rationale.

Chairs that are designed to help each

individual as they perform their specific jobs

are more likely to deliver impact because they

address the specific demands their roles

place on their bodies. The “User Action

Analysis Matrix” provides a convenient

framework to place the roles that individuals

perform into different categories and this

helps organizations better understand the

CONCLUSION

nature of the chairs that will provide the

individuals in those jobs the support they

need.

The “best fit” chair plays a key role, but it is

only a part of the entire workplace ecosystem.

It is also important to maintain a good

posture and follow the recommended best

pract ices whi le work ing. This i s the

combination that will ensure a stress-free and

productive workplace.


14

References : 1. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/connect/small-business

/scaling-up/staples/how-bad-office-chairs-cost-uk-plc/

This paper represents the opinions of the authors and is the product of professional research. This report has

been prepared for the exclusive use and benefit of the addressee(s) and solely for the purpose for which it is

provided. Unless we provide express prior written consent, no part of this report should be reproduced or

distributed. While every attempt is made to ensure that the information contained in this document is true to its

best. However, Godrej and Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd., its employees, representatives, affiliates or any of its divisions,

etc. shall not be responsible for any reliance made on this paper or for any errors / omissions in information

obtained from the source while preparing this paper.

ABOUT GODREJ INTERIO

Godrej Interio (GI) is India’s leading furniture brand in both the home and institutional

segments. GI aims to transform spaces to create brighter homes and offices with aesthetic,

functional, and technology-driven products that retain a special focus on health and

ergonomics. GI’s product portfolio covers:

I. B2B –Office Modular Furniture, Turnkey Projects, Healthcare Furniture, Lab Furniture, AV

and Vending Solutions

ii. B2C –Home Furniture & Storage, Mattress, and Kitchens

GI is widely known for its comprehensive sustainability certifications for furniture products.

Currently present in over 650 cities with 250 exclusive showrooms and 800 dealers, GI is

one of the largest divisions of Godrej and Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd., part of the Godrej Group, one

of India's largest engineering and customer product groups.

More information is at https://www.godrejinterio.com/Godrejinterio/index.aspx


15

your job dictates your chair - godrej...

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