The Number One Health and Wellbeing Mistake Organisations are STILL Making is treating offices, contact centres, and similar spaces as safe working environments.
Yes, they do not have the same immediate catastrophic injuries of manual work, but…
COMPUTER WORK IS MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY STRESSFUL
Yet screen-intensive work is mentally and physically stressful, leading to mental and physical fatigue. The sudden working-from-home shift has only accentuated and accelerated the health, well-being and associated productivity problems.
Even before COVID Lockdown, Prof Hedge’s research [1] showed at least 80% of employees in offices, contact centres and similar settings report aches, pains and musculoskeletal discomforts related to work. “Discomfort is the first step toward developing work-related injuries, which [in the USA] caused about 2.8 million nonfatal, private-industry injuries and illnesses in 2017, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics” [2]
I know from my PhD research, [3] that over 11% of contact centre agents experience chronic pain. Chronic pain costs the Australian economy $55 Billion a year, and of that, $7 Billion represents lost productivity. Now consider the cost of all the other health and injury expenses your business manages every day, including the growing number of employees experiencing a work-related Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD).
ADD THE COST OF MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS
MSDs are recognised as the most significant negative health issues associated with the use of personal computers and are “identified as a priority disorder in the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012–2022 [4].
The actual cost of workplace injuries is substantial. While direct costs are transparent, the indirect costs of lost productivity, absenteeism, staff training, and presenteeism can be up to five times the direct costs’ value.[5]
With the increased focus on employee wellbeing, managers must consider the even greater cost to an employee who is experiencing a disabling MSD. “Studies show … their incomes are reduced by up to 40% over a five-year period, which translates into a drastic and long-lasting impact on their ability to provide for their family and their quality of life as a whole.” [6]
ADD SEDENTARY HEALTH RISKS
Now add the health risks associated with our increasingly sedentary work and lifestyle, including but not limited to increased risk of heart attack, stroke, a range of cancers, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and poor mental health (including depression). In fact, Workcover Queensland states that 41 % of Queensland adults reported having at least one of the following chronic diseases: arthritis, asthma, cancer, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), diabetes or a disease of the circulatory system [7].
ACT TO REDUCE RISKS AND LABOUR COSTS
Research shows that implementing structured health and wellbeing strategies has numerous business benefits [8]. Programs can improve overall worker health by 24%, productivity by 29%, absence due to sickness by 21% [9] and positively affect presenteeism and creativity [10]. In fact, the Australian WorkScore [11] survey revealed employees in companies investing in employee wellbeing felt more engaged, energetic, and happier at work.
A healthier, safer, and more productive workforce drives a buoyant bottom line and creates a prosperous business.
HOW BEYOND ERGO CAN HELP
Beyond Ergo program bridges the training gap between WH&S and workplace wellbeing recommendations and the need for employees to take greater personal responsibility for their health, wellbeing and productivity. However, the employer must ensure employees receive the training needed to build the Personal Protective Behaviours (PPBs) required to stay fit for work. These new ergo and self-care competencies include but are not limited to, personalised ergonomics, postural mindfulness, new work behaviours and physical conditioning exercises for recovery and injury prevention. The Beyond Ergo | Ergo and Self-Care Competencies Virtual Workshops, created through PhD research, provide a new training tier. Training is specifically designed to ensure employees can manage the increasingly impactful and complex range of health, wellbeing and productivity risks found during modern, agile, screen-intensive (computer) work.
What We Do | We help businesses improve productivity and labour costs by decreasing work-related pain and risk of injury claims. We do this by training the Personal Protective Behaviours (PPBs) individuals need for modern computer-intensive work and play.
These new multidiscipline programs go Beyond Ergonomics to build Self-Care Competencies for today’s mobile, computer-intensive and increasingly sedentary workforce.
How can an ergonomics checklist providing general guidelines for a few core pieces of equipment even begin to cover all the modern work tools (e.g., mobile and laptops), furniture (e.g., sit-stand or desk stools), or workplaces (e.g., work-from-home or activity-based workplaces), let alone the health risks of work that is inherently sedentary?
Training that builds employees’ personal protective behaviours (PPBs) and enables them to take greater personal responsibility for their health, wellbeing, and productivity is a commercial imperative.
Give your employees the chance to gain greater control over their lives and careers.
References
Number in order of appearance.
[1] Prof Alan Hedge – https://www.ndtv.com/health/long-working-hours-you-should-definitely-give-this-a-read-1973898
[2] – Sohn, E., Long Working Hours? You Should Definitely Give This A Read!, in The Washington Post. 2019, NDTV: On-line..
[3] Dr Liz Kirk’s Research – https://beyondergo.com.au/ergonomic-research/
[4] Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012–2022.- https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/about-us/australian-work-health-and-safety-strategy-2012-2022
[5] Midddlesorth, M., The Cost of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) [Inforgraphic]. Ergonomics Plus. p. cost of MSD.
[6] Matt, M., A Better Approach to Musculoskeletal Health. 2017, Ergonomics Plus.
[7] Full 2020 Chief Health Officer report – https://www.health.qld.gov.au/research-reports/reports/public-health/cho-report/current/full
[8] Buik, C., Richards, P., Workplace Health in Australia — Bupa Benchmark Survey 2015. 2015, Bupa. University of Sydney. p. 20.
[9] – Rongen, A., et al., Workplace Health Promotion A Meta-Analysis of Effectiveness. Am J Prev Med, 2013. 44: p. 406 – 415.
[10] – Cancelliere, C., et al., Are workplace health promotion programs effective at improving presenteeism in workers? A systematic review and best evidence synthesis of the literature. BMC Public Health, 2011. 11(1): p. 395.
[11] Work Score – www.WorkScore.com.au