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| p2p Magaz i ne | Summer 2013
ERGONOMICS
01732 759725
Businesses putting
workers health at risk
Businesses that fail to monitor employees’ working conditions could be
putting the health of their staff at risk leading to lost productivity and
high levels of sick pay, warns Fellowes.
the impact of the working environment
on office workers’ health is all too often
overlooked by employers.
She said: “What is very clear from
the research is that the way you work
and the equipment you use has a major
impact, not just on your workplace
health, but on your wider health too.
On a daily basis, I see many patients
suffering particularly from back pain, and
I ask routinely about workplace set-up
because I know the consequences of poor
posture and spending long periods sitting
in the wrong position.”
Louise Shipley, from Fellowes, said:
“Employers have a responsibility to their
employees and that includes making sure
they can work safely and productively.
Investing in the right kind of supportive,
ergonomic accessories and workspace
assessments should be a part of that
process to ensure they have a more
engaged and healthy workforce.”
A previous survey conducted by
Fellowes in 2012 found similar levels of
discomfort, including headaches (32%),
tense shoulders (29%), neck ache (28%),
eye problems (27%) and sore wrists and
arms (25%), and an equally low level of
workstation assessments (45%).
With employers failing in this
regard, Fellowes is encouraging office
workers themselves to carry out a
simple workstation risk assessment
at
www.ergo.fellowes.com/en-gb/
workingwellassessment
According to its latest ergonomics
survey, badly set up or poorly
equipped workstations result in one
in five office workers missing almost
three weeks of work a year due to
health problems, such as backache
(40%), tense shoulders (37%), eye
problems (30%) and even depression
(17%).
On this basis, Fellowes calculates
that unhealthy workspaces are costing
businesses more than £7 billion per year
in sick pay.
The research found that half of office
workers have not had a workstation risk
assessment in the last 12 months. Forty
per cent of employees don’t have access
to ergonomic accessories that can help
to relieve or avoid poor posture and
discomfort.
Almost half of those questioned said
health problems caused in the workplace
were having a negative impact on their
personal lives, with 16% complaining that
it damaged relationships and one in five
claiming to suffer from lasting depression
as a result.
A quarter of people have seen their
personal interests and activities suffer:
14% have had to take time off sporting
activities, with 11% giving up sport
altogether. Another 11% have had to
give up interests and hobbies such as
gardening.
General practitioner and health
broadcaster Dr Sarah Jarvis believes that
A step in the right
direction
The British Heart Foundation is
encouraging office workers to move
more to improve their health, following
a survey which found that one in five
workers undertakes no physical activity
during working hours.
It is urging sedentary workers to take up
the Health at Work pedometer challenge and
find time for a quick stroll during a lunch
hour or short break.
Project Manager Lisa Purcell said: “Being
glued to your desk all day can make it hard
to deal with work stress. This is a growing
problem, with two-fifths of employers
reporting that stress-related absence has
increased over the last year. Getting away
from work and taking a walk could help to
lower stress levels.”
She added: “Taking on the Pedometer
Challenge will boost well-being and morale
while promoting a healthy competitiveness
in your workplace.”
To get you started Health at Work
has produced a pedometer challenge
pack containing a ‘how-to’ guide for the
co-ordinator, posters, a progress chart,
pedometer and everything needed to inspire
colleagues to get moving.
bhf.org.uk/pedometerchallenge
Pilfering is rife in UK offices, though
few workers feel any guilt about it.
Instead, they see stationery, business
supplies and even software as fair
game and one of the perks
of the job, according to new
research by the Federation
Against Software Theft (FAST).
In FAST’s survey of workers in 200 companies,
86% of respondents said that they never felt
guilty when stealing from their employer.
As well as nicking the odd pen or ream of
paper, a significant minority admitted to
downloading material without paying for it:
26% said that they installed software on
the office network that they had not
bought; and 20% confessed to
downloading and installing music,
games and ebooks that they knew
had to be paid for.
Anything that’s not
nailed down...
The Office Pilferer’s Top Ten
1. Pens 82%
2. Post-it Notes 65%
3. Blank CDs 33%
4. Blank discs 33%
5. Printer paper 21%
6. Notebooks 20%
7. Software 16%
8. Teabags 15%
9. Toilet paper 11%
10. Digital content 16%