My journey to a healthier workspace Catherine McWilliam
As a child, I never really got it when my Mum complained of a sore back or creaky neck after sitting at her desk all day – after all, she was sitting down on a fancy chair with wheels, ALL DAY. What wasn’t comfy about that? (My Dad also complained regularly of aches and pains, but as a farmer, he’s on his feet doing manual labour, 12 hours a day, every day). Yet, she regularly commented about knots and aches as a result of her sedentary state. I lived for the day I could sit on a spinny chair at a vast desk and not have to do the ritual chewing gum check that I was accustomed to with the school chairs.
Doing my dissertation in 4th year at university, I had my first experience of these aches and pains, spending hours and hours bent over a laptop and reference textbook, emerging in the small hours with a hunched back, claws for hands and a vampire’s aversion to daylight. I remember going for a spa day which featured a back massage and my therapist commenting on my knotty back and then 20 minutes later wincing in pain as she tried (and succeeded) to iron them out.
I didn’t really think about or pay attention to my posture or general occupational health again until March 2020, when Covid-19 and the resulting lockdown hit and my then manager was emailing me to remind me to complete a home working health and safety form…. Did I have a suitable desk and chair to work from? Did this apparatus offer adequate lumbar and neck support? Was my monitor at the right height level for my eyes? Not a chance. My desk was a hastily bought £15 IKEA job and my chair even worse, the cheapest eBay option that I could have delivered within the week. At least I wasn’t sitting on my bed propped up by pillows or lying on the sofa with my laptop on my knees.
Since the hazy days of 2020 and as my career has developed, I have found myself managing others and very consciously leaning in to better understand occupational health and how I as a leader and employer can create and provide the optimum conditions for my team to work in. This not only includes hours of work and workplace culture, but general working conditions and the office environment.
I was very fortunate therefore to meet Ian and Fergus from Humanscale through my IoD network. I don’t think I’ve ever met 2 people more passionate about ergonomics, but spending some time chatting with both of them, I was reminded of that tight feeling across my shoulders after a long day at my desk. I asked them to come by the office and take a look at our set up and advise me what we had got right, and what we needed to look at or update. Our budget for this was not huge but given the amount of time that I and my team spend at their desks, it felt important that I looked to make this as comfortable an experience as possible.
Fast forward 6 months and I am forever grateful for this connection and expertise. Upon Ian and Fergus’s advice, we got new chairs with ergonomic design features that responded to our individual back shape and movement, as well as adjustable laptop stands that have been set up specifically to our heights and use patterns. Subtle, cost-effective changes that have made a massive difference. The tightness in between my shoulders is gone and my chair honestly feels like it was made especially for me.
Looking back, I feel a bit bad that I scoffed at my poor Mum’s aches, but I’m pleased to say that working from home, she now has a much better and suitable set up. Poor Dad still does the long hours, but it keeps him young.
As a conscientious leader and employer, I cannot encourage people enough to invest in the appropriate desk and working set up. Things like standing desks and walking pads aren’t for everyone, but it is so important that we think about our bodies and the long-term effects that our lifestyles have on them – both in the office and at home. I’m absolutely haunted by that AI image of a middle-aged woman in 2050 who has worked from home for 30 years without the appropriate set up. Google it if you’re brave enough…
About the author
Catherine McWilliam is the Nations Director for the IoD in Scotland. Joining the IoD Scotland team in 2021, Catherine has extensive experience in stakeholder engagement and relationship building across the third, private and public sector and is passionate about promoting good governance and diverse leadership. Catherine has recently been recognised as one of Management Today’s 35 Women Under 35 for 2024, and is co-chair of the Edinburgh Regional board of the Lifted Project. She was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from Dumfries and Galloway College in December 2023 and is a member of the Scottish Government’s National Suicide Prevention Advisory Group.
