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NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� As a citizen of both France and America, Margaux Lantelme has noticed a difference in how work in the two countries: in France, they do their jobs sitting down. In the U.S., where Lantelme , 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 over a period of months. She's still waiting for final approval.

鈥淣ot having access to a chair without approval from a doctor, which costs money and time and energy, is really ridiculous,鈥� Lantelme said. 鈥淚 personally think that people should be able to have access to seating at work anytime they need it.鈥�

Aches, pains and complications

Standing for long periods can lead to low back pain, fatigue, muscle pain and leg swelling, and it can increase the risk of cardiovascular problems and pregnancy complications, according to a review conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Researchers there concluded that movement, whether walking or shifting from a standing to a seated or leaning position, appeared to be the best way of reducing those health hazards.

Being on one's feet for an extended time also can lead to chronic venous insufficiency, a disease in which damaged veins impact , according to the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, which represents operating room nurses.

The association recommends trying 鈥渇atigue-reducing techniques such as alternate propping one foot on a footstool, the use of anti-fatigue mats, using a sit-stand stool and wearing supportive footwear,鈥� said Lisa Spruce, senior director of evidence-based perioperative practices at AORN.

The right to sit down

Many jobs besides require extended standing: , hairdressers, surgeons, restaurant cooks and are just some of the people who perform their roles on their feet.

Cecilia Ortiz, 43, used to work as an airport wheelchair attendant in Phoenix. 鈥淚t takes a really hard toll on the knees,鈥� she said. The break room had three or four chairs, which wasn鈥檛 enough for everyone, so workers often went to the hallway and sat on the floor, Ortiz said.

She said she once got written up by her boss for sitting down at an electronic device charging station for 15 minutes after she'd been on her feet for five hours without a break.

Ortiz now works for a warehouse that provides supplies to the airport, and when she needs to sit, she can.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not so strict over there. If we needed to sit down for any reason there wouldn鈥檛 be a problem,鈥� Ortiz said.

Her former employer, Prospect Airport Services, said it adheres to all local, state and federal labor regulations regarding breaks. "Our employees are welcome to take their breaks and meals in our designated break room or in any common-use space throughout the airport," company spokesperson Jackie Reedy said. "This policy allows our employees to choose the location that best suits their needs.鈥�

Unionized workers at the Barnes & Nobles store in Manhattan's Union Square have made access to chairs and the under certain conditions a part of their negotiations for their first contract.

鈥淭he longer I鈥檝e been at the job, I鈥檝e started noticing knee issues, especially because we do a lot of bending down and standing back up when we鈥檙e shelving books and showing customers things and creating displays,鈥� bookseller Bear Spiegel, 28, said. 鈥淏eing able to have a stool available would be really useful just so I could rest my knees for a couple of minutes throughout the day while I鈥檓 doing things on the computer while I鈥檓 at the registers.鈥�

Spiegel鈥檚 coworkers suggested wearing a knee brace and athletic tape, and those , but it鈥檚 hard for him to predict what days he鈥檒l need the extra support because his symptoms vary each day, he said.

鈥淭here have been days that I鈥檝e requested a stool and thankfully my managers have allowed me to take them out and use them when needed,鈥� Spiegel said.

Barnes & Noble uses chairs or stools routinely for those working off the sales floor when it鈥檚 sensible to do so, but a lot of a bookseller鈥檚 work is done on the move, including unpacking, sorting and shelving books, a company spokesperson said.

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which represents about 100,000 workers, has been pushing to include in the contracts it negotiates, including at Barnes & Noble, a guaranteed right to sit during work that can be done seated, said Stuart Appelbaum, the union's president.

During one bargaining session, an employer objected to the demand. Union negotiators used a break that emptied the conference room to underline their position. 鈥淭he employer came back and saw we had removed all chairs from the negotiating table,鈥� Appelbaum said. 鈥淚 think the point was made.鈥�

In the end, the union got the chairs it wanted written into the contract, he said.

Sitting once was a protected right

Around the turn of the 20th century, most states in the U.S. had laws requiring seating for female workers. Women were increasingly entering the workforce, and there was a fear that if their jobs were too physically taxing, they might not become pregnant, said Eileen Boris, a labor historian and professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Women were seen as the 鈥渕others of the human race, and thus we have to protect motherhood,鈥� Boris added. 鈥淎lmost every state had laws, but they weren鈥檛 enforced.鈥�

Those laws were repealed over time because they applied only to women. One reason was that the women's movement was pushing for equal rights, rather than special treatment, Boris said.

Labor movements in other countries were more successful in establishing requirements . 鈥淭he English shop movement was much stronger and had more men in it than the U.S.," Boris said.

In 1964, the International Labour Organization, a U.N. agency, adopted workplace standards requiring employers to furnish sufficient and suitable seats, as well as reasonable opportunities for workers to use them. More than 50 countries ratified the agreement, but the U.S. was not one of them.

Today, , Florida, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, Oregon and Wisconsin are among the states with 鈥渞ight to sit鈥� laws that obligate employers to provide suitable seating for all workers, regardless of gender, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, approved an ordinance in October that requires manufacturers, retail stores, laundromats, hotels, restaurants, hairdressers, barbers and skin care professionals to as along as sitting doesn鈥檛 interfere with their duties. A statewide bill also was introduced in Michigan last fall.

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Cathy Bussewitz, The Associated Press