People in the UK that work on their feet all day report physical and mental fatigue – with a quarter (25%) on their feet for more than eight hours
· But nearly half (45%) say that MUSIC can distract from the effects of arduous standing work
· Pop and RnB music is most commonly played in the workplace – but workers revealed they would love to hear more ROCK
· Music therapist Marianne Rizkallah shares the power music has to help regulate and improve the mood of workers
· Music Licensing company PPL PRS has created a guide to explore how standing roles worker’s mood and productivity and how music can help distract from the day-to-day aches that come with jobs of this nature
A quarter (25%) of UK workers in ‘standing roles’ – i.e. sectors like hairdressing, retail and hospitality – spend 8+ hours on their feet every day while 43% are on foot for over five, according to new research by music licensing company 
.
Resultantly, the symptom most commonly felt – by nearly three in four (72%) – is physical fatigue. It’s followed by sore legs or feet (68%) and mental fatigue (44%).
Almost nine in 10 (86%) play MUSIC in the workplace to feel better. Four-fifths (82%) recognise its mood-boosting benefits during a shift, while nearly half (45%) say a good tune helps them feel energised and focused when working.
The music genre commonly played in standing workplaces is pop (66%) and RnB (24%). It’s welcome news after workers confirmed these styles are their favourites (55% said pop and 24% RnB). ROCK (22%) is a genre they’d like to hear more of, though.
Two in five workers also revealed that customers respond positively to music playing.
Music Therapist for PPL PRS, Marianne Rizkallah comments: “When it comes to music’s ability to boost your mood when working, there’s some research into the effects of rhythm as a ‘temporal organiser’ or providing ‘temporal structure’ to our movements, meaning that if something is presented to you with a steady beat, you’re more likely to be able to tune in to it.
“I would suggest that music with a steady, predictable beat is more important when working standing, enabling you to perform tasks in time with what you’re hearing and giving you a starting and stopping point.
“In general, research seems to point to music listening being used (at least in part) to regulate, and usually improve mood. When working long hours, standing or not, listening to a variety of music can serve many functions, like, mirroring someone’s mood, altering their mood state, taking them through the different parts of the day.”
Knowing that 43% of Brits spend 5+ hours or more on their feet a day, finding ways to stay motivated is key.
Music Licensing company PPL PRS has created a guide to explore how standing roles worker’s mood and productivity and how music can help distract from the day-to-day aches that come with these jobs.
