Employee motivation: Sitting at a desk all day damages staff morale, says expert

Date: 07/07/2011

Boost employee motivation by encouraging staff to take time outside, an expert has said.

According to Hermie Hogg, a health and wellbeing consultant, workers should not be chained to their desks all day long.

Instead, she said, they should take a break after an hour and a half, allowing them to exhale and stretch.

Her comments follow research published in the BMJ which reveals that women who sit for long periods of time each day are two to three times more likely to develop a life-threatening blood clot in their lungs, compared to women who are more active.

But while Ms Hogg appreciates it's not always easy to find time to exercise, she encourages time away from the desk to boost staff performance.

"Exercising is not always possible, especially if you have got a high-powered job, but you could without any excuse, just get up and go to a window somewhere, go out, or go to the bathroom and just exhale three times. It doesn't take long," she advised.

Posted by David Farrior 

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