Assembling a stand-up workforce

A growing group of employees at Pleasant View Care Center gives Administrator Kathryn Keane a standing ovation every time they see her.

It’s hard not to, given how much they like the new standing desks that Keane champions.

“My biggest issue was my neck, looking down all the time. It was just killing me,” says administrative assistant Vicki Kron (pictured). “I love this desk.”

She, Keane and others readily quote the hazards to the back, spine and shoulders of sitting at a desk for periods of longer than a half hour at a time. Among other duties, Kron handles billing and moves to several places on the Whiting, IA, complex often. She loves “being already up and moving.”

“A lot of times after lunch, you’re just ‘uhhhh,’” she adds, describing a sluggish feeling. “This kind of wakes you up and keeps you focused.”

The desks can crank higher or lower, for standing or sitting. Keane says they’re part of a 2015 campaign to improve employee wellness. She bought four desks in December, with another batch, including one for herself, set to arrive soon.

“You can’t make up that sitting time by working out before and after your eight hours of sitting,” Keane says. “It’s really about movement all day long.”