Good morning,
Three months into the country’s grand work-from-home experiment, Melissa Afterman started getting a lot of phone calls.
Afterman, an ergonomics consultant and environmental health and safety specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, is one of many workplace safety experts who have spent the summer calling attention to remote work’s increased risk of work-related injuries and health problems--from back pain to toothaches. It was only a matter of time, she tells Inc., before months of hunching over laptops--combined with the stress of living through a pandemic--started to take a toll on employee health.
Indeed, 41 percent of Americans have experienced new or increased back, neck, or shoulder pain since they began working from home, according to a survey commissioned by insurance company Chubb in May and June. And in a separate June survey of remote workers from digital health company Hinge Health, 45 percent reported back and joint pain--with 71 percent saying the pain was new or had worsened.
These ailments can be easily explained--for example, extended laptop use forces you to look down at your screen, and the weight of your head pulls on your neck and back. They can also be easily treated. The challenge: effectively communicating this to your workforce. Check out our story to learn five great pieces of advice for keeping your employees healthy while they’re working from home. |
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