How Quickly Will Your Standing Desk Pay For Itself?

In 2020, an independent study tried to place a figure on the cost benefit of using standing desks. Their conclusion? Sit stand desks could save your organisation tens of thousands of pounds.

Your FRISKA standing desk could save you over £1,400 pp every year

The study was titled A Cost and Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Stand More At Work (SMArT Work) Intervention. In sit stand desk manufacturing circles it’s a bit like the Holy Grail.

The (very) short version is this: two groups of workers were studied. One group received a height adjustable desk, the other didn’t. The study compared the cost of the desk with the cost of sick leave and presenteeism, and the resulting productivity gain.

What did the study find?

Although there wasn’t a big difference in absenteeism, there was a significant difference in productivity. Once the cost of the equipment was factored in (the versions used in the study were manually adjustable converters designed to sit on traditional desks, rather than motorised standing desks), the net benefit to the organisation over the year was an estimated £1770.32.

Clearly, with the cost of the desk accounted for in year 1, the year 2 benefit would be even greater.  

How reliable are the results?

This was an independent UK study funded by the Department of Health Policy Research Programme. There were no declared conflicts of interest. That’s important because it means there’s no standing desk manufacturer in the background paying for this.

Calculating the payback of a FRISKA

We’ve used the figures from the study, and replaced the cost of the on-desk platform with the cost of a FRISKA Stockholm as follows:

• Total net benefit identified in study: £1,770.32
• Av. cost of adjustable converter desk used in study: £309.43 (2020 price)
• Cost of FRISKA Stockholm standing desk -£864.17 (current ex VAT price)
• Total year 1 cost benefit of using a FRISKA Stockholm = £1,215.58

 

How quickly will your standing desk pay for itself?

According to this study, your FRISKA will pay for itself in just over seven months (218 days to be exact).

Will you realise this saving?

According to the study, you will realise a cost benefit saving by switching yourself and/or your people to standing desks. Exactly how much that saving is worth will be individual to every business and depend on:

• How you or your people differ from those in the study
• The work your people do and their added value to your business
• The specific model of height adjustable desk you choose

It’s worth stressing that the equipment used in the study was a manually adjusted desktop converter. A FRISKA is a motorised standing desk that removes any effort in raising and lowering the desk and gives you a clear desk space to work from, unlike the models used in the study.

It’s possible the cost benefit could therefore be even greater and, because it’s guaranteed for 10 years, you could be enjoying those benefits for a very long time.

Payback in other ways

Posture-positive

This study was about standing as opposed to sitting, but we know that it’s the ability to switch between the two that confers greatest benefit. Discover how being able to change posture can benefit your people.

Find out more

Worker retention

It’s harder than ever to recruit and retain staff, and the cost of replacing them is formidable. We’re not suggesting a standing desk is all it takes to keep your people happy, but it can certainly help.

Hybrid working

Perhaps you feel your people work best when they’re in the office and you want a way of encouraging them back. Perhaps you’re happy for them to make hybrid a permanent arrangement, but you want to ensure they’re using something a little better for their well-being than the kitchen table.

Find your FRISKA now