Innovative office design and its effect on work-related physical functioning: a theoretical perspective

Abstract

From a physical functioning viewpoint (including work-related discomfort and disorders), one might believe that new ways of organizing offices (i.e. standing desks, activity-based office spaces, teleworking, experience-driven office spaces, shared offices…) challenge the prevention of work-related discomfort or disorders, since these working conditions implicate that assigned, individually adapted desks are no longer accessible. The literature is however clear on the value of such personally-assigned desks. There is an increasing body of evidence within the domain of musculoskeletal functioning rejecting the widely held belief that working posture is causally related to work-related physical functioning, including work-related discomfort or pain. 1,2 It is on the contrary even recognized that monotonous physical work postures induce work-related discomfort and disorders, together with a sedentary lifestyle. 3 From this latter viewpoint, benefits from innovative office design on physical functioning, including the prevention of work-related discomfort and disorders, are thus suggested. Nonetheless, the potential for increased posture variation, offered by more flexible office initiatives, and its relation to discomfort and disorders is still largely unexplored. The development and maintenance of physical complaints should furthermore always be interpreted within a biopsychosocial framework, since it is well known that psychological and social factors are important contributors to musculoskeletal pain and functioning as well. Therefore, it will considered during this talk, based on a theoretical framework, whether the increased flexibility related to the new trends in working-places are either advantageous or disadvantageous within a multidimensional perspective. The available literature on this topic will be critically appraised in light of prevention of work-related physical complaints. The value of physical work posture will accordingly be discussed. Several biopsychosocial aspects, causally related to the development and persistence of work-related pain and disability will be acknowledged and elaborated on, certainly with regard to their inter-individual variability.