Many physically demanding jobs require being on your feet all day, such as cooking, cleaning, or construction. However, even in roles where work could be easily done while sitting down, standing is still often required, which many employees have a bone to pick with.
Just like these airport workers, who, after their manager took away their chairs, decided to unite and do the bare minimum, wreaking havoc in the airport. Scroll down to find the full story and conversation with human resources expert Wendy Sellers, aka The HR Lady, who kindly agreed to share her insights on the topic.
Many question why workers are expected to stand when they are perfectly able to do their duties seated
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These workers even started boycotting when their chairs were taken away by new manager
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Image credits: Anonymous
On average, workers spend about 55% of their workday standing
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According to the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for 2024, on average, workers spend about 4.13 hours of their workday standing. This comes to about 55% of the workday, which is a slight decrease from previous years when the average ranged from 57% to 61%.
Occupations whose workers spend the most time standing include food preparation and serving, building, construction, healthcare support, and sales-related roles. People in these positions can spend up to 97.6% of their workday on their feet.
BLS states that standing is present when workers are not sitting or lying down, which also encompasses walking, climbing, stooping, and other movements. Prolonged standing or frequent motion can lead to lower back pain, fatigue, muscle pain, leg swelling, and even increased cardiovascular problems.
While this is unavoidable in roles where tasks can’t be done sitting down, employees who could work seated but are still required to stand have been making some waves for quite some time now. This is completely understandable, as standing all day without an apparent reason not only crushes employees' morale but also can be very tough on the body.
Human resources expert Wendy Sellers, aka The HR Lady, explains that some managers insist that employees stand, even when the job can be done while seated, due to two main reasons—ignorance and ego.
"Many managers simply do not understand ergonomics or how the human body actually works. They have heard “standing desks or stations are healthy” and twisted it into “everyone must stand all the time,” without grasping the nuance of proper posture, movement breaks, or individual needs. The other factor? Power. Insisting people stand is a straightforward way to assert authority: “I say you stand, so you stand.” It feels managerial, even though it is often counterproductive."
Employers can’t refuse workers a place to sit simply because they prefer that they stand
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Just like in this story, many employees are pushing for the right to sit down, so some countries and states in the US have no choice but to put out laws that state that employers can’t refuse workers a place to sit simply because they prefer that they stand. In addition, they have to provide their employees with suitable seating during work activities and breaks.
"There is no principled reason for denying an employee a seat when he spends a substantial part of his workday at a single location performing tasks that could reasonably be done while seated, merely because his job duties include other tasks that must be done standing," wrote Justice Carol A. Corrigan.
Greater flexibility and a wider range of body movements are beneficial for workers, as being in one position, whether standing or sitting, for too long can have negative effects on both physical and mental health. By changing poses, workers are using their muscles more, which reduces strain and pain on individual muscles and improves their blood flow.
Those employees who feel that their job can be done seated but are still expected to stand should bring this issue to their manager or employer, as under some laws, they are legally required to provide them with seating.
"First, they need to arm themselves with facts. Pull together credible sources—OSHA guidance on ergonomic best practices, peer-reviewed studies on sit-stand balance, maybe a quick consult with an ergonomics specialist," Sellers suggests.
"Then they should schedule a calm, professional chat with their manager (or HR), present the evidence, and propose a trial of a hybrid approach: “Let’s do a two-week pilot where I alternate sitting and standing, track my comfort, productivity, and any posture-related complaints, and revisit the policy afterward.” Framing it as an experiment takes the emotion out and focuses on data. If they can demonstrate equal or better performance and fewer aches, it’s hard to justify a blanket ban on chairs."
Readers approved of workers' malicious compliance
