Margaux Lantelme, who holds dual citizenship in France and America, has observed a stark contrast in cashier work culture between the two nations.
In France, cashiers are seated while they work, but in the US., where Lantelme mans the till at REI, standing is the norm, often for eight-hour shifts. As someone with a history of chronic pain, exacerbated by prolonged standing, Lantelme requested a chair for her shifts and was initially accommodated.
However, following a management switch, she faced bureaucratic hurdles to keep her chair, involving doctor visits and insurance co-pays, and she’s still awaiting final approval.
“Not having access to a chair without approval from a doctor, which costs money and time and energy, is really ridiculous,” Lantelme expressed. “I personally think that people should be able to have access to seating at work anytime they need it.”
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health supports the idea that movement is beneficial, noting that alternating between standing and sitting can reduce health risks such as back pain, fatigue, muscle pain, leg swelling, cardiovascular issues, and pregnancy complications.
Extended periods of standing can lead to chronic venous insufficiency, a condition where damaged veins affect blood circulation, according to the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), which represents operating room nurses.
Lisa Spruce, senior director of evidence-based perioperative practices at AORN, suggests “fatigue-reducing techniques such as alternate propping one foot on a footstool, the use of anti-fatigue mats, using a sit-stand stool and wearing supportive footwear,” Many professions require prolonged standing, including department store sales clerks, hairdressers, surgeons, restaurant cooks and airport workers.
Cecilia Ortiz, 43, a former airport wheelchair attendant in Phoenix, said: “It takes a really hard toll on the knees,” She recalled how the break room had insufficient seating, forcing workers to sit on the hallway floor. Ortiz was once reprimanded for sitting at an electronic device charging station after standing for five hours without a break.
Now working for a warehouse supplying the airport, Ortiz says the rules are less strict: “It’s not so strict over there. If we needed to sit down for any reason there wouldn’t be a problem,” she said.
Prospect Airport Services, the former employer, insists it follows all labor laws regarding breaks. “Our employees are welcome to take their breaks and meals in our designated break room or in any common-use space throughout the airport,” said company spokesperson Jackie Reedy. “This policy allows our employees to choose the location that best suits their needs.”
Meanwhile, unionised workers at the Barnes & Noble store in Manhattan’s Union Square are fighting for the right to sit during shifts as part of their first contract negotiations.
Bookseller Bear Spiegel, 28, highlighted the physical toll of the job: “The longer I’ve been at the job, I’ve started noticing knee issues, especially because we do a lot of bending down and standing back up when we’re shelving books and showing customers things and creating displays,” adding that having access to a stool would be beneficial.
Despite knee braces and athletic tape offering some relief, Spiegel’s symptoms fluctuate, making it hard to predict when extra support is needed. “There have been days that I’ve requested a stool and thankfully my managers have allowed me to take them out and use them when needed,” Spiegel shared.
At Barnes & Noble, staff often use chairs or stools when working away from the sales floor, but much of a bookseller’s work involves being on the move, such as unpacking, sorting, and shelving books, according to a company spokesperson. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, representing around 100,000 workers, has been pushing for a guaranteed right to sit during tasks that can be done seated in the contracts it negotiates, including at Barnes & Noble, said union president Stuart Appelbaum.
During one bargaining session, an employer objected to the demand. To make their point, union negotiators removed all chairs from the negotiating table during a break.
“The employer came back and saw we had removed all chairs from the negotiating table,” Appelbaum said. “I think the point was made.”
The unionultimately secured the right to chairs in the contract. In the early 20th century, most US states had laws requiring seating for female workers, driven by concerns that physically demanding jobs might affect their ability to become pregnant, according to labour historian Eileen Boris. Women were seen as the “mothers of the human race, and thus we have to protect motherhood,” Boris added.
Although nearly every state had laws, they were rarely enforced. Laws that only protected women were eventually repealed as the women’s movement sought equal rights rather than special treatment, Boris explained.
Labour movements in other countries had more success in implementing rules on seating. “The English shop movement was much stronger and had more men in it than the U.S.,” Boris stated.
In 1964, the International Labour Organization, a UN agency, set workplace standards requiring employers to provide suitable seating and opportunities for employees to use them. More than 50 counttries ratified this agreement, but the US did not.
Some US states, including California, Florida, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, Oregon, and Wisconsin, have since implemented “right to sit” laws, which require employers to provide suitable seating for all employees, regardless of gender.
Additionally, Ann Arbor, Michigan, has passed an ordinance allowing workers in various indusries to sit down as long as it doesn’t interfere with their work. A similar bill was introduced in Michigan last autumn.
