Why must discomfort = productivity??

There are times whilst I sit at my desk in my little cubicle that I get eye, neck and back fatigue from sitting in the upright, attentive posture that all company heads like to see their employees in. Problem is, it can get to be darn painful!

Therefore I sometimes like to sit back in the chair, perhaps tilt it back a bit, swing my legs out from under the desk, and even cross my legs - a nice, comfortable pose that puts everything into a different perspective. Instead of feeling the strain of the "strict" posture, I feel more relaxed.

Problem is, most upper management doesn't like seeing their employees in a relaxed position. That kind of pose usually gets the "negative stares" - those piercing, menacing angry stares they give that say (with out them muttering a single word) "what the hell are you doing?!" The other fun things they do is to suddenly become so interested in what you're doing - wanting to know the details of what exactly you're doing there. But my utmost favorite is the old "If you got nothing to do, I can find something for you to do" line.

All because you wanted to kick back and relax a little!

So I have to ask: where is it written that for you to be productive, you have to be uncomfortable?! Doesn't anyone know the word "fatigue"?! If you're uncomfortable, you tire sooner than you would when you're comfortable. To me, it's quite logical: discomfort equals quicker fatigue and lower productivity. Comfort equals slower fatigue and higher productivity.

So, to all you bosses out there - if your employee is "kickin' back" in their chair, but is still typing that report with the keyboard in their lap, heck man LET THEM!! They're relaxed and can concentrate on the job at hand instead of working through the pain of that cheap office chair your company provided!

FYI - looking over their shoulder constantly is also stressfull AND increases fatigue. If you don't trust them to do the job while you're not there, then why did you hire them in the first place?!