Worksite International Blog

Working remotely has its pros and cons as we have all learned. There are some really great benefits of work from home, but the downside, can be problematic. One of the limitations is not having the best ergonomic set up at home leading to lost productivity, impaired performance, and injury.

Early on in my career as a certified professional ergonomist, I became fascinated by the value of ergonomics as a process change agent and influencer on many aspects of organizational design and management. There are several key concepts and people who helped me to formulate the Worksite International Ergonomics Process as it is today as reflected in the Ergonomics Process Influence Model. 

Employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their workers according to OSHA. This has never been more important in response to the pandemic. In the workplace, the number, cost, and severity of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) resulting from physical overexertion, repetitive motion and other causes  are still a major concern. These injuries can be substantially reduced by applying ergonomic principles.

A diverse and inclusive workplace is one that makes everyone, regardless of who they are or what they do for the business, feel equally involved in and supported in all areas of the workplace. 

While the pandemic has changed our work and home lives in the short term, the impact of it in the long term remains to be seen around the world. An important outcome of the pandemic is the rise of interest in wellness and well-being especially in the workplace. 

As a Professional Ergonomist and Chair Assessment Specialist (CASp), I often talk about the science of sitting, chair assessment, selection and fit in my blogs, in my presentations, and when I evaluate employees in the office. You may of heard me say, "if the chair isn't right, then the ergonomics of the workstation will never be correct." 

Pre-Pandemic Workforce Trends 

The impact of the pandemic as a societal change agent has been powerful. In fact, nothing in the last few decades has had more influence on the impact of women at work. There are numerous studies implicating the differences in how the pandemic has affected men and women differently over the last 18 months. In reality, many of these societal/cultural changes started long before the pandemic.

Over the last year, we've all adapted to working from home. This fact has got me thinking, how many of our new habits, are good habits? This includes our work postures.

Teachers at Risk for Injuries

While we have all been zooming from home, so were teachers. Primarily with only a laptop. If lucky, they had a separate monitor and an ergonomic chair. As a result, many teachers have been working for six or more hours on a laptop from the kitchen or dining room table, with awkward, static postures experiencing musculoskeletal stress and stains to their neck, back, arms, wrist and hands for months. 

The State of Higher Education

We were already headed for a crisis in education before COVID hit. But that crisis has accelerated like so many other things this year.

Dozens and potentially hundreds of small four-year colleges are likely to go under within the next year, and others in the next five years, according Frank Bruni, NY Times article (6/4/2020).

As the virus proliferates, so does online instruction, as it allows for learning in a safe environment at home, expanded enrollment, better access to financially strapped students and adults wanting continuing education.