By Lancelot Joseph. Executive Editor, Business India

Working from home, which has now become the new normal for most, can be extremely stressful. Rotating oneself from the bed, sofa and dinner table, to a chair and finally the floor, is potentially bad for health – the most common physical issues being a stiff neck, hunched back, aching wrist and fatigue. 

During the last few months, the lockdown and social distancing have seen thousands of employees in India setting up office in their own homes. According to reports, the Covid-19 pandemic could lead to ‘work from home’ (WFH) becoming a regular mode of functioning among the new generation – and some in the old gen too. 

“In this scenario, finding the perfect chair and a desk that are well-integrated with other ergonomic tools that meet the WFH requirements is an absolute must,” explains Sathish Nandagopal, founder &  director, S Cube Ergonomics, the Bengaluru-based exclusive India distribution partner of Humanscale, a New York-based  company, which is the global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance ergonomic products.

S Cube Ergonomics was established in 2014 and now operates with a team of 30-plus members, aiming at an ergonomic India. The company has been growing at the rate of 75 per cent year on year, from Rs42 lakh (2014-15) to Rs64.35 crore (2018-19).

Prior to establishing S Cube, Nandagopal was with brands like Interface, Alucobond, Honeywell, Ceasefire, Krueger International, etc. “Currently, 95 per cent of S Cube clients are in B2B projects and the remaining 5 per cent in B2C retail, with clients like Google, Wells Fargo, Visa, Microsoft, State Street, Citibank, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Credit Suisse, to name a few,” says Nandagopal, who has announced the national launch of its ‘Plug & Play’ ergonomic home office set-up. 

 Complete workstation

This WFH executive package consists of an ergonomic task chair, height adjustable desk, monitor arm, docking station, keyboard tray and a cable management system. “It is a complete workstation providing ergonomic support and comfort, while working from home,” adds Nandagopal.

“One just has to connect to a power socket and connect their laptop to the dock cable, and, voila! It’s ready to use and can be positioned anywhere in the house”. Subsequently, with a view to protect ‘Study From Home’ (SFH) students from physical hazards and musculoskeletal disorders, S Cube announced the national launch of its ergonomic home study station.

In addition, S Cube has also announced the national launch of its ‘eRental’ wherein individuals, start-ups and large companies can rent at affordable prices. “So, why buy when you can rent?” asks Nandagopal. “Through ‘eRental’, we bring you an affordable and flexible rental option (3-24 months) to build the perfect workspace to boost productivity and enhance performance.” 

Today’s modern workplace is dominated by an increasing presence of technology. Employees spend much of their time answering emails, writing reports, and participating in web conferences – all of which require prolonged periods of computer use. For the average worker, this has led to an increase in musculoskeletal complaints such as eyestrain, lower back pain and wrist discomfort.