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California would have the fifth-largest economy in the world if it was a sovereign nation. The Golden State has a larger gross domestic product than the United Kingdom and India. Unfortunately California gained a dubious distinction this week among the world's "countries" as well. The state has at least 473,785 confirmed coronavirus cases as of July 29, according to Johns Hopkins University data. That places California fifth among countries for COVID-19 cases. Only the whole USA, Brazil, India and Russia have more cases than California.
Social distancing, lockdown and shelter-in-place were unfamiliar terms to most Americans just six weeks ago. But it appears all three will be frequent fliers on the U.S. vernacular plane for the foreseeable future.
The United States has come a long way from Reconstruction to 2020 as it relates to work conditions. The average workweek in the year 1900 spanned six days and 59.6 hours, according to the Economic History Association. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 mandated that employers must pay overtime when workers exceeded 44 hours in any given week. The law was amended two years later, making the standard work week 40 hours, with overtime thereafter.
The National Center for Health Statistics estimates that nearly 40% of Americans are obese, with about 32% being severely obese. Approximately 31 million Americans suffer from diabetes, according to the Diabetes Research Institute. Unhealthy lifestyles are the primary culprits for both of these conditions. But there are also a large number of Americans who sit in front of a computer for eight hours per day, five days per week.
Office furniture and design in the Bay Area have continually evolved to attract and retain young Millennial and Generation Z talent. It started with open office workstations in the mid-2000s. Several Bay Area tech giants implemented the layout despite mixed reviews from workers of all ages. Standing desks grew in popularity through the first decade of the 21st century too. Most offices use them as flex-seating for workers who want variety throughout the day. They may spend half a day sitting at unassigned cubicles, and the second half standing, perhaps to fending off after-lunch fatigue.
All those articles and studies about recruiting and retaining Millennial talent still have relevance in 2020. People born from 1980 to 1996 comprised 35% of the U.S. workforce in 2018, according to Pew data. Millennials surpassed Generation X as the majority in the U.S. workforce in 2016 and will hold that distinction for the foreseeable future. Generation Z, sometimes called Post-Millennials or the iGen, are those born roughly between 1998-2015. They started entering the workforce in 2016.
The Bay Area is well represented in the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2020) this week in Las Vegas. Artificial intelligence, 5G and marketing technology are some of the hottest topics related to office culture and streamlining work flows. Some advancements in the workplace, however, have been more detrimental than helpful.
The 1920s are often referred to as "the Twenties" or the "Roaring 20s." There is no real consensus as to what this coming decade is called since the generic Twenties is already taken. There's not even consensus for the name of this past decade. Some call 2010-2019 the "Tweenies." Others call it the Twenty-Tens. Regardless of nomenclature, it was a banner decade for office furniture and trends within the workplace.
Volunteering is a bedrock principle of both healthy individuals and prosperous societies. The University of Exeter did a meta-analysis of 40 studies on volunteering over a 20-year period in 2013. Mortality rates were 22% less with volunteers versus non-volunteers. The study also concluded that volunteers had better mental health and overall life satisfaction than non-volunteers. But the volunteer work must be truly volunteer, not forced, to reap the benefits.
The Golden State unemployment rate has reached record lows, with the Bay Area job outlook providing even more positive news. The California unemployment rate fell to 3.9% in October, according to data released today by the state’s Employment Development Division. The state added 23,600 non-farm jobs, and continued it's record expansion. California has added 3.37 million jobs since 2010, accounting for 15% of the 22.2 million jobs added across the country in that time.
Owl Labs debuted the Meeting Owl in the summer of 2017. The device is a standalone smart speaker with a 360-degree camera on top. It integrates with Zoom, Skype and other videoconferencing services, and places the person speaking in a meeting front-and-center on everyone's screen. Mark Schnittman, chief technology officer for Owl Labs, told Venture Beat that the first edition of Meeting Owl is light on features because the company doesn't yet know what users want. But the data is trickling in quickly.
The name Chris Gardner is familiar to people because of the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness” (yes, that's how it's spelled). Gardner drudged through an unpaid internship at Dean Witter Reynolds while he and his son survived homelessness in San Francisco. The internship resulted in a full-time job and a new life for his family. The movie is based on a true story that is actually quite common (minus the drama for cinematic effect).
Statistics can say anything the author wants them too say, and that definitely holds true with a 2016 study by the Bureau Of Labor Statistics. Data compiled by the agency that year found that the average U.S. worker spent 39% of their days sitting and 61% standing. But when you take a closer look at the numbers, you'll find that in most occupations, workers either sit or stand a vast majority of their days. Waiters and welders, for instance, are on their feet more than 90% of the time. Accountants and software developers sit 80% or more of the time.
There is a clear age gap when it comes to concerns about environmental issues, and it could have detrimental effects on your recruiting efforts. A 2018 Gallup poll found that 75% of young Millennials and Generation Z (people age 18-34) believe that global warming is caused by human activity. That number dropped to 56% when the 55 and older age group was asked the same question.
Research continues pointing to the negative effects of sitting for long periods of time, increased risk of including diabetes, heart disease and muscle atrophy. Many companies are addressing this issue by offering standing desks to their employees. Others have wellness programs that offer discounts at gyms and incentives for employees who ride their bikes to the office.
A 2018 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Thirty-six percent (36%) of American adults reported sitting for eight or more hours per day. Nearly half of those individuals said they did little to no exercise on a weekly basis either.
Two decades ago, working from home was considered a privilege that only a few high-ranking company officers and those who owned their own businesses experienced. Telecommuting in the ages of the internet and gig economy has become the norm for many companies and their employees. But remote workers still want their fill of office life.
Cisco Systems conducted a study in 2017 that observed and analyzed the movements of its workers in various facilities. The company concluded that employees worked much differently than they did just a few years prior. The traditional 9-5 shifts were no longer the norm due to the company’s global and telecommuting workforce. Individual cubicles were empty 65% of the time observed, while meeting rooms and other common areas were the preferred choices for workers to complete their duties.
The 2019 workplace is a potpourri of humanity with everything from 18-year-old entry-level employees to 60-year-olds putting in those final years to maximize Social Security payouts. But when it comes to the open office layout, the differences in generations begins to show themselves.
The average full-time adult worker sits for about 10.5 hours per day, including the drives to and from work, according to a study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Construction workers, movers and others who work on their feet all day may feel envious of their sedentary counterparts. But once the science is considered, the physical laborers will appreciate their jobs more.
Office furniture not only provides workplace aesthetics, but also must be functional from both comfort and productivity standpoints. Employees require high-quality furniture to ensure efficient use of their hours, while storage cabinets must be adequate for proper organization of supplies and documents.
A 2017 study by the Brookings Institute found that the use of digital tools, particularly laptop computers, has increased dramatically in 517 of 545 surveyed occupations since 2002. Construction laborers, personal aides, security guards and even cooks now need adequate, if not substantial, digital knowledge to do their everyday jobs.
The average U.S. household spends $11,666 per year on daycare, according to the National Association of Child Care Resources & Referral Agencies. That is more than a lot of people pay for rent, and more than the average in-state tuition for a year in college. But we cannot put a price on our children's safety and well-being.
Interest in the standing desk alternative to traditional desks has been growing in recent years. According to the BBC, standing desks have already become commonplace in Sweden, Finland and Norway (why do those Nordic countries always seem to be ahead of the game?), with some estimates putting the adoption rate at 80 percent of office workers. In 2014, Denmark became the first country to mandate that businesses offer a standing desk option to all employees. But while spending less time sitting hunched in front of a computer might seem intuitively like a good idea, is there really any science supporting the increased interest? Turns out, the answer is yes.
Businesses around the world use technology to get work done. Between phone lines, computer set ups, printers, fax machines, and other electronics, every office needs to keep their power supply needs in check. Each device requires another cable or wire to be plugged in. Even if each desk only has one computer and a phone line, that can equal a large amount of cables to manage.
Access to your own private office can be a luxury in the marketplace. Although they are usually reserved for higher paid positions, independent offices can be given to other workers if it is deemed necessary. If you are moving in to your first office, or you want to re-design your existing space, you may be wondering what things you should be including.
Now more than ever, large parts of the population are spending over 8 hours sitting at their computer desk for work. As technology advances, many service jobs are becoming automated or computerized, making computers a daily necessity in any industry. The problem here is that sitting for a long period of time has been shown to cause numerous health issues, including back and heart problems, as well as joint issues and other related symptoms.
As the main piece of furniture in your office, the desk performs a multitude of functions -- from organizing your files in drawers, to making a statement with the design, and of course, providing a sturdy work space for the busy day.
Many people believe that standing desks keep workers engaged. And there are excellent examples from the world of literature. To take one example, tributes to the award-winning novelist Philip Roth, who passed away recently at age 85, mention how his standing desk was a regular part of his routine.
Its 3:00pm on a Thursday and you can feel it—that aching soreness down your back and legs. While sitting may seem more comfortable in the short term, staying seated for long hours at work can lead to devastating health conditions. That is why it is important to use a set of office furniture tailored to your daily needs. A standing desk is one furniture option that can help reduce negative health effects by allowing users to stand, or sit on a high stool, while working.
When Google and other corporate giants decided to implement an open office setting, instead of traditional private offices and cubicles, 70% of the American workforce followed the trend, according to experts. However, some people believe this trend is an epic fail. The Washington Post published that “Google got it wrong. The open-office trend is destroying the workplace. Workplaces need more walls, not fewer.”
Were you aware that the average American worker is productive for only 3 hours daily? In a study of 2,000 full-time workers, it was revealed that many workers are not working for the majority of the time they’re on the job. The average person works approximately 8.8 hours daily, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Whether you are purchasing new office furniture to replace old furniture, or you are expanding and need to accommodate new employees, the type of furniture you choose will have a significant impact on your company’s bottom line. It has been proven that employees that have access to furniture that is ergonomically correct and visually appealing can actually increase their productivity.
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