I agree. Employee comfort is very important to productivity and satisfaction.

In Canada, they make cashiers and bank tellers stand too.

I think the reasons are: 1) the customer's think the workers are lazy, and 2) the company thinks the chairs make the workers lazy. Correct me, anyone, if I'm wrong.

Industrial Psychologists have a lot to do with how things are run in corporations.

It's outrageous that bank tellers should have to stand! The customer's perception of them as "lazy" could not be a factor, since you can't see whether the person behind the cage is seated or not.In the case of the check-out clerk, I'd say that their speed would be the main thing.

There are many retail establishment that require clerks to spend their day standing for 8 hours for no reason more than custom and the dictatorial power of managers. It would ease many workers to provide seating to be used occasionally or as part of the work station and conserve energy for the requirements of the job.

It's not just Ireland; I think supermarket cashiers sit in most of the UK too. I agree, making cashiers stand in supermarkets doesn't make sense. I wonder if supermarkets in the U.S. can easily buy checkout stations that can accommodate a seated cashier. Many of the ideas that have been suggested in whynot would require cooperation from manufacturers. As you know, supermarkets buy checkout stations off the shelf. If they can buy one that accommodates this, maybe some forward-looking small chain in the U.S. will do it. I don't think the large chains would do something like this, unfortunately.

I'd like to propose an intermediate solution: stools. This allows the person to get some support, but doesn't go all the way towards sitting. I have in mind a particular stool that rests at an angle. See link.

Regarding the tiltable one-legged stool: a good idea! As it happens, I own one of those stools, and I like it a lot. It's adjustable in height and is comfortable. They are pretty expensive however, so maybe the supermarket/banks wouldn't want to buy them. Perhaps the clerks who use them would pay a modest hourly rental fee for the stool, rather than stand?

A couple of comments:In this part of Canada at least, bank tellers sit. Cashiers, historically, have had to stand to gain a better view of what's going on. A better view (hopefully) equals less theft. (Ever notice the central cashier posts in some stores which have raised floors in them?) There's no real reason, with re-design of cashier stations, that cashiers couldn't get to sit down on the job. Change, however, is not something that is easily acccepted.

I think part of this is a traditional association- work at a counter? Stand. Not only the earlier jobs, but also people like lab workers usually stand at work.

Maybe the new ergonomic guidelines from OSHA will help?

The economics of transitioning to the sit-down layout might be a bit expensive. The seating might not fit in the space now available at many checkout stations. Should the counter/conveyor be lowered ? Would this make it easier for the customer to load the conveyor ? Why do customers have to lift things out of most shopping carts anyway ? It would seem that a big retail chain (supermarket or general merchandise) could gain a modest advantage from rethinking the process to make it easier for the customer and, possibly, the worker.

There may be advantages to having the ckeckout person able to move around to accomplish other incidental tasks, like replacing tape, moving bags to the appropriate location, stretching to help customers, and cleaning the conveyor/counter.

The economics of transitioning to the sit-down layout might be a bit expensive. The seating might not fit in the space now available at many checkout stations. Should the counter/conveyor be lowered ? Would this make it easier for the customer to load the conveyor ? Why do customers have to lift things out of most shopping carts anyway ? It would seem that a big retail chain (supermarket or general merchandise) could gain a modest advantage from rethinking the process to make it easier for the customer and, possibly, the worker.

There may be advantages to having the ckeckout person able to move around to accomplish other incidental tasks, like replacing tape, moving bags to the appropriate location, stretching to help customers, and cleaning the conveyor/counter.

The economics of transitioning to the sit-down layout might be a bit expensive. The seating might not fit in the space now available at many checkout stations. Should the counter/conveyor be lowered ? Would this make it easier for the customer to load the conveyor ? Why do customers have to lift things out of most shopping carts anyway ? It would seem that a big retail chain (supermarket or general merchandise) could gain a modest advantage from rethinking the process to make it easier for the customer and, possibly, the worker.

There may be advantages to having the ckeckout person able to move around to accomplish other incidental tasks, like replacing tape, moving bags to the appropriate location, stretching to help customers, and cleaning the conveyor/counter.

After having watched the film 'Supersize Me' last night and bearing in mind the massive rise in obesity we are experiencing in the Western World, standing is good! The human body is designed to stand all day. This will also help reduce the chances of back injuries as the lower body is not fixed in one position, forcing the torso to twist unnaturally as the person stretches/twists through an abnormal range of motion.

I'm not sure I believe the human body is "designed to stand all day". I'll bet that even in the most primitive societies people spend a lot of time sitting. I guess you could give the supermarket clerks who wanted to stand for the exercise value of it, the choice of NOT using a chair or stool. But consider the average office worker: how many of them do you think would prefer to work all day at a standing desk? And another thing: why should Alex Trebec and all the contestants on Jeopardy have to stand? Damn it, let them sit down like we TV watchers do.

nmmeri,As someone who has been a cashier, there isn't much excercise in standing in one spot. Also, if the station is designed properley with a proper stool/chair, there is no abnormal twisting, etc.. Also, standing in one spot is bad for circulation, so is sitting all day; however, cashiers often move so that would rarely happen. So, in my opinion, sitting is a better alternative to standing when not moving.