Employees Should Sit and Move as Much as Possible

The workplace is naturally one of the best places to get in much-needed physical activity, certain types of jobs anyway. If one's job is not sufficiently physical, it is possible to yet acquire that physical activity on the job. This is possible with even sedentary employees, who could utilize under desk elliptical machines (if they happen to work at a desk), treadmill desks, and other synonymous equipment. When I was employed as a substitute paraprofessional with Memphis/Shelby County Schools, I would walk around the gymnasiums of schools where I worked during my meal breaks, or I would actually exercise with students I accompanied to physical education classes...

Employees could additionally make use of formal fitness programs or rooms that are available during employee meal or other breaks or after or before their shifts or at other times designated by their employers. To best accommodate employees, employers offering such programs should make or extend their employees' meal breaks to an hour or permit their employees at least two thirty minute breaks, one for their meal and one for exercise. If one's employer does not have a formal fitness program or exercise room, they could alternatively walk around the company premises in areas that are not visible to the public or clientele. This could be a stairway, hallway, or company parking lots (if the lots have designated walking paths for said purposes). 

It is equally important for employees with highly physical jobs to rest or sit when feasible, to preserve their feet health. For example, employers should trade standing electric pallet jacks for those with seats that enable employees to achieve the prescribed balance between standing when essential and sitting when feasible. During my employment at FedEx Express, employees (myself formerly included) would sit in the freight cans that we utilized to sort parcels when they were not full. This was okay with some managers or they ignored it; others would ask us to stand, pointing out that sitting was against company policy. Because we could see the freight coming down the conveyor belts, there was technically nothing wrong with sitting during intervals or significant gaps in movement of the freight. As long as everyone caught their freight it should not have been a problem. A majority of the times that employees missed freight we missed it standing on our feet when the conveyor belts were overloaded with freight. Some employees would lean against the side of the conveyor tables, which, was another infraction, though 99.9% of the time no employee leaned on the conveyor tables in a manner that would have put either of us in harm's way. 

Due to the extremely laborious nature of work at FedEx, employees should definitively be allowed to sit when possible (as long as they retrieve all of their freight). I say they should be provided stools to sit on in front of the conveyor belts. These would ideally be stationary. Employees would no longer be tempted to sit in the cans or lean against the conveyor tables. 

There is a tendency of employers to believe that if their workers are not standing they are not busy enough. This is not true. Why not allow them to sit when it is possible if it does not interfere with their work or productivity?! Standing for significant periods of time does significant damage to one's feet, legs, and lower back. 

I made this point to Walmart specifically concerning their greeters, some of whom are disabled. I'm not certain if my addressing this issue was in any way synonymous with Wal-mart's decision to allow their greeters to sit. I'm very pleased to see that they are permitted to sit now. I additionally believe that other workers like store clerks should be permitted to sit during idle periods. They too should be given resting stools upon which to sit at their cash registers...

Though various experts have made points that I have made here, many companies have yet to take heed. I'd venture to say that the Department of Labor and OSHA should intervene and require that the prescribed accommodations are made. This would prevent excessive standing-related injuries and improve employee satisfaction and retention.