Right to sit
Jurisdictions that have enshrined "right to sit" laws or policies include Austria, Japan, Germany, Mexico, France, Spain, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Jamaica, South Africa, Eswatini, Cameroon, Tanzania, Uganda, Lesotho, Malaysia, Brazil, Israel, Ireland, Zambia, Guyana, the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and the British overseas territories of Gibraltar and Montserrat.
US states with current right to sit legislation include California, Florida, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Local jurisdictions with right to sit laws include Ann Arbor, Michigan; Portland, Oregon; St. Louis, Missouri; and London's Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Jurisdictions without general right to sit laws often grant seating to disabled, pregnant, or minor workers as a reasonable accommodation.
"[19] The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic ratified the International Labour Organization's Hygiene (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1964 on 26 Feb 1968.
The law states that "The occupier of every shop in which female shop assistants are employed shall at all times provide and keep...chairs or other suitable accommodation behind the counter or in such other position as may be suitable for the purpose for the sole use of such female shop assistants in the proportion of not less than one chair or other seating accommodation to every three females employed and shall permit them to make use of such chairs or other seating accommodation when they are not necessarily engaged in the work or duty for which they are employed..."[20] Bolivia ratified the International Labour Organization's Hygiene (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1964 on 31 January 1977.
This same article has a single paragraph stating, furthermore, that when a worker performs a task standing, seats will be made available during the existing resting periods.
[28] In 1888, Manitoba passed the Shops Regulation Act, the highlight of which was "the requirement for employers to provide a sufficient number of suitable seats or chairs for the use of their female employees who shall be permitted to use the same when not necessarily engaged in their work or duty.
[15] During the 1980s and 1990s, Article 11.7.1 of Quebec's "Regulation respecting industrial and commercial establishments" protected a worker's right to sit "where the nature of the work process allows it."
In 1948, the law stated that "In every factory, suitable seating arrangements must be provided and maintained for all workers required to stand, so they can sit and take rest when opportunities arise during their work.
[62] The Right to Sit While Working law in Israel was proposed by Labor Party politician Shelly Yachimovich, an outspoken feminist and social democrat.
[65] In December 2007, the Histadrut filed a lawsuit against 61 major retail shops and outlets that they alleged were violating the right to sit law, demanding NIS 20 million in compensation.
In 2024, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced that it would investigate retail employers such as supermarkets that refuse to provide seating for their workers.
The bill would require owners of shopping malls, department stores, and other retail outlets to allow their workers to sit when not attending to customers.
Señeres stated that excessive standing is "deleterious to the health of the workers, especially women" as well as "inhuman as only animals like carabaos, cows and horses can endure being on their feet" all day.
[9] The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic ratified the International Labour Organization's Hygiene (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1964 on 22 September 1967.
[88] South Africa's Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1993 requires that all employers, where reasonably practicable, must "provide an ergonomically sound seat for every employee whose work can be effectively performed while sitting".
Workers whose jobs are usually performed while standing must be allowed to "take advantage of any opportunity for sitting which may occur, and for this purpose the employer shall provide seating facilities."
[9] In Tanzania, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 2003 states that "There shall be provided and maintained for the use of all workers whose work is carried while standing, suitable seats to enable them for sitting to take advantage of any rest period which may occur in the course of their employment.
"[95] Chapter 82:02 of Trinidad and Tobago's Shop (Hours of Opening and Employment) Act contains a suitable seating provision for female workers.
"[97] The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ratified the International Labour Organization's Hygiene (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1964 on 19 June 1968.
[9] In the United Kingdom, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 mandates that employers must provide suitable seating for workers when that are not engaged in work that requires standing.
"[99] The Health and Safety Handbook of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London states that "Suitable seats should be provided for workers to use during breaks."
The act reads: "There shall be provided and maintained, for the use of all workers whose work is done standing, suitable facilities for sitting sufficient to enable them to take advantage of any opportunities for resting which may occur in the course of their employment.
Commons and Andrews claimed that these early right to sit laws were "of little real importance in protecting health...since it is practically impossible to see that employers and foremen allow the seats to be used even when provided.
"[104] By 1932, almost all of the states, the District of Columbia, and the territories of Puerto Rico and the Philippines, had passed laws requiring some form of suitable seating for women workers.
California, Florida, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, Oregon, and Wisconsin have active, gender neutral right to sit laws.
The law states that workers "shall be provided and maintained for their use suitable facilities for sitting" as long as the work can be reasonably performed while seated.
Ramazzini cites carpenters, loggers, carvers, blacksmiths, and masons as examples of workers required to stand for great lengths of time.
[98] Professor Carol Louw of the University of South Africa claims that female-specific provisions in right to sit laws "reinforced stereotypes regarding women's frailty."
