Worksite International Blog

I love combining international travel with international conference participation. This article is a synopsis of lessons learned from several keynotes and presentations at the HFESA Ergonomics conference I attended and delivered (with great excitement) in Brisbane, AU on November 25-27, 2024.

Is your Ergonomic Evaluation Process a Mystery to Employees?

It shouldn't be, but in many organizations it is. Knowing how to request an evaluation is often a mystery.

Relying on an ergo-hotline phone call, an email to the supervisor, or word of mouth are insufficient and ineffective to encourage engagement in your ergonomics process. These methods fall short in driving engagement with your ergonomics process, often slipping under the radar or being disregarded.  Nor does it allow you to capture vital information about why employees need an ergonomic assessment.

Solve the mystery by using a simple gateway form

Small to mid-size enterprises (SME) typically take a transactional approach to using the science of ergonomics.

Transactional ergonomics is used as a one-time solution to impact one or more employees for a particular reason, such as using an assessment for onboarding, workstation setup, and injury prevention. Or utilizing it reactively as part of a workers’ compensation management strategy.

The challenge with a transactional approach is it is not always a transparent process shared throughout the organization as a strategy available to all employees. How do your employees access your ergonomics evaluation process?

In our fast-paced world, technology intertwines seamlessly with our daily lives. The significance of ergonomics and its impact on worker well-being has never been more pronounced. 

As we strive for efficiency and productivity at work, the spotlight turns to the science of ergonomics' critical role in human-centered design to optimize our workspaces and daily routines. But how do you know your ergonomics process is measuring up and making a difference? 

As a leader in the organization and at the top of the organizational chart, it is the CEO who drives change and imparts his/her vision and values onto the organization. It has become imperative that CEOs and top executives focus on strategies that support growth, employee retention, organizational health, and employee well-being.

The corporate budget process is typically an annual endeavor for companies to plan for purchases, services, and staff needs. Changes may be made monthly or quarterly, depending on financial or strategic considerations.  However, one important cost allocation is routinely missing. 

Often, I’ll hear prospects shopping for ergonomics services say, “We don’t have a budget for ergonomics.”

Sadly, most employers don’t have a line item or planned budget for ergonomics programs and training. Yet doing so would make tremendous sense, given our reliance on technology, remote work, and the increased exposure to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) associated with physical work, as well as prolonged sitting and computer use.

What does your employee's ergonomics journey look like?

Every organization who has an ergonomics program that offers ergonomics evaluations creates a journey for its employees. What does your employee ergonomics journey look like? 

Our new way of working requires a new way to lead.

Leadership is a hot topic. That's because we need B.R.A.V.E. leaders when times are challenging. With the growing focus on health, safety, and well-being in the workplace, it's the perfect time to elevate the need for ergonomics as a leadership driven change management strategy that addresses the way we work today. 

Our New Way of Working Requires a New Way of Leading

We are never going back to how we were! While this is the nature of progress, the pandemic accelerated change in ways we never imagined. It brought to the surface humanity's need to change quicker than any of us could conceive. Everything we do is now altered including how we communicate, socialize, shop, travel, use healthcare, and technology. Every facet of our lives - especially work - is different. 

Are you taking a transactional approach to ergonomics?

Let me explain. 

Many employers take a transactional approach to their ergonomics program, buying ergonomics services as needed in reaction to a situation or employee concern. It is the most common way employers consume ergonomics.