Public Health England recently issued guidelines that aim to counteract the dangers of inactivity in the work place. They suggest office workers should be standing for a minimum of 2 hours daily in order to reduce the risks of several chronic diseases (such as heart disease)  that are associated with long periods of sitting – even  for those who exercise regularly. It is advised that high desks are provided by managers for employees to stand at, something which only 1% of UK workers have access to, compared to 90% of those in Scandinavia.

Employers offering these facilities are likely to attract high quality staff as it would demonstrate a clear sense of concern for employee welfare. So perhaps investing in this innovative way of working would actually improve productivity and profits.