Do you need to rearrange your workspace?
Workstation woes are causing long term health problems among office workers, according to a major new survey.
Almost three quarters of office workers suffer from ailments as a direct result of working at poorly equipped desks within the workplace, according to the research from Fellowes.
More than two thirds of those are forced to take medication to manage their condition and a staggering one in 20 has been forced to give up their job altogether.
And the health issues worsen with one in 10 complaining of being in constant pain, 17 per cent suffer some pain each day and 40 per cent said their work station caused regular health flare-ups.
Badly set up workspaces result in one in five missing almost three weeks of work a year from health problems such as backache, tense shoulders, eye problems and even depression, costing businesses more than £7 billion per annum in sick pay alone.
General practitioner and health broadcaster, Dr Sarah Jarvis, comments: “The impact of the working environment on office workers’ health is all too often overlooked by businesses.”
“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.
“What’s worrying is that we are becoming a nation of ‘self-medicators’ to help ease pain, with workers choosing to sit in silence when they should be having conversations with their employers about making sure their workstation is set up to minimise the risk of long term health issues.”
The research found that almost half of those questioned said these health problems were having a negative impact on their personal lives too – with 16 per cent saying it damaged relationships and one in five suffering lasting depression as a result.
The research reveals that firms are failing to take their employees’ health seriously as mandatory safety checks are still not being carried out in the workplace.
Half of office workers report that they’ve not had workstation risk assessment in the last 12 months despite it being a legal requirement. Forty per cent of workers complain about not being supplied with any vital ergonomic accessories, with more than a quarter spending time rearranging their desks.
Louise Shipley, from Fellowes, comments: “Most of us spend a great deal of time at our desks so we need to think harder about the conditions we’re working in – and invest in protecting our health and ultimately, our quality of life.
“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.”
To find out if you have any potential risk areas at your workstation, take the Fellowes’ simple workstation risk assessment at www.ergo.fellowes.com/en-gb/workingwellassessment