You have to be in the “power zone,” which means standing, walking around all the time. If you’re caught sitting behind your desk once or twice, no big deal, but if admin notices a pattern of it, you’ll get talked to and/or dinged on your evaluation.
And pre-COVID, we had much stricter dress codes. So I wore cute, professional, unsupportive shoes for years. (Also couldn’t afford the nicer more comfortable shoes.)
So I did that—not sitting, wearing dress shoes—for about 22 years.
Everything from my hips down is fucked. Bulging discs, two hip surgeries, a bum ankle, chronic bursitis and tendonitis, and arthritis in nearly every joint.
I’m 52.
Since the first hip surgery, in 2015, I’ve sat down. I wear Crocs, Born, SAS, Naturalizer.
I sit whenever the hell I please now. There’s a teacher shortage. I’m not getting fired.
(I realize lots of professions stand a lot, but they’re usually encouraged to wear comfortable, supportive shoes.)
Too many employers have not a single thought for what their policies do to employees physically, especially over the long run and it’s complete BULLSHIT.