As organisations continue to navigate the hybrid work era, new insights from Humanscale, the global leader in ergonomic design, stress that good ergonomics is no longer a niche wellbeing benefit — it is a fundamental economic strategy.
With where and how we work transformed by hybrid and remote models, the mismatch between modern work environments and human physiology is now one of the most significant and costly performance barriers organisations face. Forward-looking companies increasingly recognise that traditional ergonomic investments focused solely on injury prevention are no longer enough. Instead, proactive ergonomic design - starting at the point of workspace planning and extending across home offices and shared workspaces - can drive measurable business value by reducing discomfort, enhancing productivity, and strengthening employee engagement and retention.
In a recent session with Worktech Academy, a world-leading online knowledge platform and member network exploring the future of work and workplace, ‘Humanscale Consulting’ experts joined the live webinar to explore costs, the true meaning of ergonomics, and why a proactive approach offers one of the best returns on investment any business can make.
“The question that businesses should ask today is not so much what is the cost of implementing ergonomics strategies at their organisations, but rather what is the cost of not doing so?” said Jonathan Puleio, Global Vice President of Humanscale Consulting. “Applying ergonomics principles prior to the onset of injury is of course, a much sounder strategy than waiting for employees to experience diagnosable injuries. True ergonomics is about fitting the job to the worker from the start.”
While workplace injuries are visible and measurable, they represent only the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface lies low-level discomfort such as back pain, stiff necks and wrist strain that slowly affect focus, energy, and productivity. Research shared during the session revealed that employees experiencing ongoing discomfort can lose more than five hours of productive time per week, equalling roughly 25% of their working year.
Ergonomics is not simply a wellness initiative; it is a performance strategy that Humanscale’s products support and champion. Integrating ergonomic principles into workstations and tools that support natural movement and healthy posture, means employees expend less energy managing discomfort and more energy focused on meaningful work.
“Ergonomics isn’t an expense, it’s a multiplier,” said Puleio. “Investing in human-centred environments signals to employees that their comfort and health are valued, and it unlocks a cascade of economic returns—from lower absenteeism and compensation costs to higher job satisfaction, innovation, and performance.”
With hybrid work settings becoming the norm, employees are working across a spectrum of environments—home desks, kitchen tables, co-working lounges and corporate offices—often without professional ergonomic support. This decentralisation has amplified unseen productivity loss and musculoskeletal discomfort that traditional metrics have historically overlooked.
A strategic approach to ergonomics includes:
Human-centred workspace design, integrating anthropometric data and ergonomic guidelines from the outset to reduce the need for costly retrofits and medical interventions.
Adaptable tools and intuitive products that flex with changing tasks and settings, empowering users to maintain healthy posture wherever they work.
Education and empowerment, ensuring employees understand how to set up and adjust their environments for optimal comfort and performance.
It is this third point – education – that is critical yet often overlooked. Providing well-designed tools alone is not enough if employees lack the knowledge and confidence to use them correctly. True ergonomic success depends on a dual focus: helping people understand what good ergonomics looks like at a high level, while empowering them to make meaningful adjustments to their own workspaces.
Research consistently shows that many employees are unfamiliar with how to adjust even basic equipment, meaning the benefits of good design can be lost without guidance. By pairing intuitive, human-centred products with ongoing ergonomics education and support, organisations ensure that every investment delivers its intended impact: healthier people, sustained comfort, and stronger performance.
This makes ergonomics an essential consideration in workplace strategy and design for 2026 and beyond.
