Ergonomic office furniture has been a workplace buzzword for a generation, with the emphasis on correct posture and reduced muscle strain becoming an important worker health issue.

Learning about the importance of ergonomics in your home office is essential to anyone who works from home. Ergonomics is all about how the human body interacts with your work and environment. Incorporating ergonomics into your home office will improve your productivity, make you more comfortable, and prevent stress and injury.

In fact, leading companies are integrating ergonomics deeply into all of their operations. And it’s no wonder when you take a look at the benefits of an effective ergonomics process.

Ergonomics improves quality. Poor ergonomics leads to frustrated and fatigued workers that don’t do their best work. When the job task is too physically taxing on the worker, they may not perform their job like they were trained. For example, an employee might not fasten a screw tight enough due to a high force requirement which could create a product quality issue.

Ergonomics creates a better safety culture. Ergonomics shows your company’s commitment to safety and health as a core value. The cumulative effect of the previous four benefits of ergonomics is a stronger safety culture for your company. Healthy employees are your most valuable asset; creating and fostering the safety & health culture at your company will lead to better human performance for your organization.

Ergonomics boosts employee morale. Those sharp, new chairs and other ergonomic improvements show your staff that you're serious about your commitment to their comfort and safety. You may see a reduction in missed days and reduced turnover, which can be indicators of staff morale. Employee involvement in ergonomics assessments further reinforces your efforts to empower your staff.

Ergonomics saves money. At first glance, an ergonomic initiative might seem expensive. After all, you're faced with a bill for new furnishings, equipment and accessories. However, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration's "Safety Pays" program cost estimator reports a total of $31,511 in indirect costs that an employer could pay for one incident of carpal tunnel syndrome on the job. If your profit margin is 10 percent, you'll require additional sales of more than $300,000 to cover this amount.

Ergonomics prevents stress and injury. When working from your home office, you may spend hours at a time seated in front of your computer screen working and typing. Being stationary for long periods, constantly looking at a computer screen, and conducting repetitive motions like typing, can create stress for the body and mind. Ergonomics is important because it can prevent stress and injury.