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The average American slept 6.8 hours per day in 2019, according to StartSleeping.org. That's down from eight hours of sleep per day in 1942. Meanwhile only 1 in 5 jobs today require physical activity, according to Johns Hopkins University. That down from nearly half of jobs being physical in 1960. The morals of the story - statistics are fun, and your beds and office chairs better be comfortable.
It’s no secret that the Bay Area is one of the most pricey cities to live and work in the United States. San Francisco is second only to Manhattan on Kiplinger’s 2019 list of most expensive cities to live in the United States. The median home value in the city is $927,400, and average rent for apartments is a cool $3,821. Oakland is seventh on the list, with a cost of living nearly 55% higher than the U.S. average.
Silicon Valley and San Francisco are still the technology meccas of the United States. But data released by commercial real estate firm Cushman and Wakefield earlier this year indicates that Salt Lake City and Boston are vying for that title. Salt Lake City has a combination of a large Millennial population and cheap rent, while Boston has easy access to venture capital and of course Harvard and MIT. But the Bay Area is not in imminent danger of losing its status, at least not as of today.
The United States was once a hub for manufacturing, which meant many workers made a living in that sector. Federal Reserve data show that 30% of American non-farm jobs were in the manufacturing sector in 1949. When you combined those workers with retail, mining, construction and hospitality, that meant more than 60% of American workers were on their feet, moving around for most of their workdays. Manufacturing jobs account for only about 8% of all jobs today, the lowest ever. More than 86% of Americans sit all day for their jobs in 2019.
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.
Among the large software companies in Silicon Valley and cities across the nation, software developers enjoy a wealth of amenities, from in-house coffee bars to ping pong tables to free massages. While these luxuries may be great in the short term, they don’t address the main problem facing professionals in this industry — long-term effects of time spent sitting at a computer.
Despite the emergence of e-friendly initiatives to shed waste and reduce paper use within businesses, there is still a need for storage space. Whether it is backup files of key client accounts or physical space for larger items, designing an office space with storage in mind will help keep the office clutter free in the future.
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.”
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.
If you're new to cubicles, it is helpful to understand the parts and pieces so you know what you want to order to make a complete cubicle. The basic building blocks of any cubicle are as follows.
As companies continue to grow, and commercial real estate costs continue to rise, cubicles are the logical solution to get the most utility from the open space you have. We can custom tailor each cubicle to the occupant's specific needs, work habits, and function within the company.
