The right to sit down: When spending all day on your feet at work is an occupational hazard

While traveling in Europe, Margaux Lantelme noticed something different about the store cashiers: they did their work sitting down. It was a stark contrast to Chicago, where Lantelme works the register at REI and cashiers typically spend eight hours a day on their feet.

For Lantelme, a former kayaking instructor, prolonged standing can trigger flare-ups of chronic pain that limit her mobility. She requested a chair to use during her shift and got one. But after a change in management, she had to fill out paperwork to keep the chair, which required multiple doctor visits and insurance co-payments over a period of months. She is still waiting for final approval.

“Not having access to a chair without approval from a doctor, which costs money and time and energy, is really ridiculous,” Lante