a hunched home office worker "designs" a furniture store; The drawing goes viral and is falsely associated with a study Sciences

Illustration rendered by the Canadian Furniture Company at work. – Photo: playback

Hunched, overweight and with claw-like hands: Nothing suggests the future of the work-from-home workers of the future will be like that of a 3D model released by a Canadian furniture company. And there is no scientific research to support the projections used in the marketing piece.

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On the contrary, the scientific study that was incorrectly associated with this 3D simulation indicated that a suitable workspace (in the office or at home) was associated with good performance.

Named Anna, the ‘model’ photo from the furniture store went viral on social media. It was revealed on June 15 by Furniture at Work, a Canadian company, in a blog post.

Illustration rendered by the Canadian Furniture Company at work. – Photo: playback

The company’s text has been removed from the air and Furniture has not commented on the claims. The store stated on the blog that after consulting with specialists and scientific studies, it decided to have a designer model the potential changes in the bodies of those who work at home over the long term.

“We pursued scientific research and worked with health experts to fully explore the potentially harmful health effects of working from home, before working with a 3D designer to create a human being from the future whose body has been physically altered by the constant use of laptops and smartphones, poor posture and an unhealthy diet. Is Anna the future of remote work?” the company asked in the text.

On social networks and in international media reports, one study that ended up being falsely associated with photos was a survey conducted by the University of Leeds in the UK. In the text that released the simulated images, Furniture did not mention the study, which was led by researcher Matthew Davis.

Davis’ research found that 27% of British office workers do not have access to sufficient workspace at home.

These allegations [da empresa] They do not reflect our research findings,” said Matthew Davis, the professor in charge of the research, when contacted via email before g 1.

Part of those 27%, Davis said, is more likely to work at the kitchen table, sitting on the couch, or in bed. He pointed out, “This does not mean that the majority of remote workers in the future will suffer from health and musculoskeletal problems.”

The impact of the pandemic on work

The University of Leeds research was published in two parts, in May and October 2022, with the aim of showing how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected ways of working and people.

“Our goal is to understand the implications of the changes: learn lessons, share best practices, and provide guidance to organizations that are embracing hybrid work or adapting offices to support their future ways of working,” a document reads.

The study coordinated by Davis showed that hybrid work — a combination of face-to-face work with home work — fell to workers’ taste after the pandemic.

The main conclusions were:

This is the ideal business model for 52% of respondents.
39% said they would like to work less face-to-face – these workers are more likely to change jobs and have lower job satisfaction;
When in person, employees report satisfaction and engagement at work;
Workers who had greater control over where and when they worked reported higher levels of job satisfaction and work-life balance.

“Our research shows that the office continues to have a major influence on how employees think, feel, and interact at work, and that spending time with colleagues in the office has positive effects on employees and their organizations. However, there is clear evidence that employees want and benefit from choosing where, when and how they work.The study says.

The British study does not delve into the physical conditions of home office workers. He states that “employers need to consider the ergonomic impact on the health and well-being of the team” both on a personal level and at home, in order to avoid musculoskeletal problems, and to offer adjustable tables and equipment according to the physical needs of workers.

“Working for long periods in unsuitable workplaces, especially using computers, can have negative effects on physical health and well-being. However, many workers also go to work part of their time in traditional offices and other workplaces, providing an environment Better work, said Matthew Davis.

suitable environment

Research says that a home office in an appropriate environment determines whether the experience is positive or negative. According to the study, working at the dinner table, for example, is associated with greater worker distraction and higher levels of burnout.

“We tracked this in our journal project, and found that having a dedicated workspace was associated with higher self-rated performance, job satisfaction, work-related motivation, and engagement,” says the research.

The study conducted by the FGV indicates a decrease in the number of companies working from home