{"id":60222,"date":"2026-09-20T18:23:39","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T16:23:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ergomotion.nl\/?page_id=60222"},"modified":"2026-09-21T07:22:07","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T05:22:07","slug":"ergonomic-working","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ergomotion.nl\/en\/ergonomic-working\/","title":{"rendered":"Ergonomic working"},"content":{"rendered":"

Home › Courses & Training › Ergonomic working<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Ergonomic working<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>

An incorrectly set-up workstation or unconscious working habits are the most common cause of physical complaints, sickness absence and reduced productivity. Yet improving them is often easier than people think. On this page you will read what ergonomic working actually involves, why it pays off, and how to make your workplace healthier step by step: in the office, at home and on the shop floor.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Free workplace checklist<\/a><\/div><\/div>
Request a quote<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\"Ergonomic<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

What it is<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Why it matters<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Complaints<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Laws & regulations<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

By sector<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Pitfalls<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Organisational approach<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

FAQ<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\u2014 The basics\n <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

What is ergonomic working?<\/h2><\/div><\/div>

Ergonomic working means aligning your work, your workplace and your equipment with the human body so that you can work healthily, comfortably and efficiently. Ergonomics looks not only at the chair or the desk, but at the whole picture: your posture, your movement, the layout of the workplace and the way you carry out the work.<\/p>\n

It gives you two things: you prevent physical overload and complaints, and you work more comfortably and productively. In practice, ergonomic working comes down to three things.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

The workplace<\/h4>

The furniture, the equipment and the aids you use every day. If the workplace is matched to your body and your task, a good posture takes no effort.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Variety in posture and movement<\/h4>

A good workplace helps you adopt a neutral posture, but your body is built to move. The best posture is the next posture: even sitting perfectly causes complaints if you keep it up for too long.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

How the work is organised<\/h4>

Work pace, task allocation and breaks determine whether someone recovers from the load. With structurally excessive work pressure, or when breaks keep being skipped, someone becomes overloaded even at a well-designed workplace.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Want to set up<\/a> your screen, chair and desk properly? We cover that step by step in our Office ergonomics training and in the free workplace assessment checklist.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

\u2014 Why ergonomics in the workplace?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Why ergonomic working matters<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>

Musculoskeletal complaints are one of the biggest causes of sickness absence in the Netherlands. Much of it develops gradually, through daily strain that seems harmless in itself but adds up. Anyone who sits in the same posture behind a screen for hours, or lifts and bends day in, day out without proper technique, is at risk without noticing it.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

60%<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

of employees have musculoskeletal complaints (TNO\/CBS, Netherlands Working Conditions Survey)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

30%<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

of sickness absence in nursing and care is work-related (AZW\/CBS)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

24%<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

of all sickness absence days are due to musculoskeletal complaints: the second-largest cause (TNO\/CBS)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

\u20ac405<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

average cost of sickness absence per day per sick employee, estimated by occupational health services (range \u20ac250 to \u20ac405)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Good ergonomics need not be a cost item: the biggest gains usually lie in small adjustments and in awareness. There are no hard guarantees, because research into ergonomic interventions is still limited. What is clear is that the approaches that work share the same characteristics: employees think along about the solution themselves, they are trained, and more than one measure is taken.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

— Free to get started<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Get started right away, at no cost<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>

Join a Stretch Break<\/h3>\n

Every month a short, free half-hour session, online or on site. Stand up, move and release the tension from your neck and shoulders.<\/p>\n