Legal Definitions - sedentary work

Sedentary work refers to a type of employment where the primary physical requirement is sitting. In a legal context, particularly when assessing an individual's capacity to work for disability benefits or workers' compensation claims, it defines a job's physical demands as requiring the ability to lift no more than 10 pounds occasionally, and to sit for most of the workday. While some walking and standing may be required, these activities are generally brief and infrequent.

Here are some examples illustrating sedentary work:

• Example 1: Data Entry Specialist

  A data entry specialist spends approximately seven hours of an eight-hour workday seated at a computer, inputting information from documents into a database. They might occasionally stand to stretch, walk to a nearby printer, or lift a small stack of papers weighing less than five pounds. The core duties are performed while seated, with minimal physical exertion.

  This scenario illustrates sedentary work because the individual's primary activity is sitting, and any physical demands like lifting or walking are infrequent, brief, and involve very light objects, fitting within the typical legal definition's limits.

• Example 2: Remote Customer Support Agent

  An individual works from home as a customer support agent, answering phone calls and responding to online chat inquiries. Their workstation consists of a desk, computer, and headset, and they remain seated for the vast majority of their shift, taking short breaks to stand or move around their home office.

  This job is considered sedentary because all essential functions are performed while seated, requiring no significant physical demands such as heavy lifting, carrying, or prolonged standing or walking. The work is almost entirely desk-bound.

• Example 3: Surveillance System Monitor

  A security professional is employed to monitor multiple video feeds from a control room. They sit at a console for their entire shift, observing screens, operating controls to adjust cameras, and documenting incidents. They might stand up briefly to retrieve a logbook from a nearby shelf or use the restroom, but their primary duty station is seated.

  This example demonstrates sedentary work because the critical tasks of the job are performed from a seated position, involving minimal physical movement or exertion. The occasional standing or light lifting (e.g., a logbook) falls well within the parameters of sedentary activity.