Ergonomics Auditing for Telecommuters

Recently, I noticed that my neck was extremely sore, as if I had slept awkwardly all night.  I couldn’t get the full range of motion, and no matter how much it was massaged, my there was no relief for my neck pain.   Then it dawned on me, it was the position of my head while I was working, and my computer monitor needed a simple adjustment.  As soon as I brought in a monitor riser, within a couple of days, my neck felt much better!  All this time, a simple tweak of a few inches was all I needed to get major relief from the pain in my neck.

HomeSense Telecommuter Auditing completes a full audit of your employee’s home work space, which includes an evaluation of the office ergonomics.  We may be able to recommend solutions that will enhance your employee’s overall health, and possibly even prevent a worker’s compensation claim triggered from poor ergonomics.  Contact HomeSense Telecommuter Auditing today to learn more about our essential services.

Monitor Quick Tips: 

• Put monitor directly in front of you and at least 20 inches away.
• Place monitor so top line of screen is at or below eye level.
• Place monitor perpendicular to window.

Telecommuting, It’s Great for Everyone

A great infographic from our friends at Global Workplace Analytics.

Symptoms of a Musculoskeletal Disorder

Even when the design of the workstations is correct and environmental factors are at their best, telecommuters can face from repetitive work or other conditions.  It is important to recognize warning signs of a musculoskeletal disorder (MSDs) and stop the progression to injury.

Users at risk for MSDs associated with computer use may experience some of the following signs or symptoms:

• Numbness or a burning sensation in the hand
• Reduced grip strength in the hand
• Swelling or stiffness in the joints
• Pain in wrists, forearms, elbows, neck, or back
• Reduced range of motion in the shoulder, neck, or back
• Dry, itchy, or sore eyes
• Blurred or double vision
• Aching or tingling
• Cramping
• Weakness

Although these symptoms may not necessarily lead to an MSD, if experienced, home-workers should make an evaluation of their working positions and their workstation layout.  HomeSense Telecommuter Auditing suggests employers conduct a thorough inspection of their telecommuting employees at least 4 times per year, in order to avoid worker’s compensation claims due to MSD conditions.

Workers’ Compensation Claims and Telecommuters

Many employers have a work force of employees who work from home, either full or part-time.  An employer is required to carry workers’ compensation insurance, to cover medical expenses in the event of a work-related injury.  This is true, even in the event of an employee who is working from home.  Therefore, an employer should have a safety and wellness plan in place to protect not only on-site employees, but also those who telecommute.

Telecommuters are able to, and should, report any type of work related injuries to management and are entitled to workers’ compensation.  These could be claims such as tripping over a cord and suffering an ankle sprain, or a claim of carpal tunnel syndrome due to an office not being set up ergonomically.  Employers often tend to overlook the off-site workspace of employees, which could be a major impact on overall workers’ compensation claims. 

HomeSense Telecommuter Auditing highly recommends that employers obtain professional, non-biased audits for their work-from-home employees on the regular basis.  It is certain that an audit can find safety and wellness issues to correct, before an injury could occur.  In the end, and employer could save thousands of dollars paid to deductibles and claims if audits are regularly executed.  

Top Five Safety/Wellness Violations that HomeSense Telecommuter Auditing find during home office inspections:

1. Non-ergonomically correct workstation, including chair, monitor, and desk.  (repetitive injury claim possibility)
2. Too many plugs in one extension cord adapter.  (fire claim possibility)
3. Messy office floors.  (tripping possibility)
4. Sharp edges on desks.  (cut possibility)
5. Poor lighting of task area (repetitive injury claim possibility, eye-strain)

Why Audit a Telecommuting Employee?

Many employers allow their employees to work from home, but many of them do not audit their telecommuting employees.  This is an interesting phenomenon, as so often, employers require a “code of conduct” or “telecommuting agreement” before the work arrangement is allowed.   These agreements can require a separate working area from the rest of the home, elder or child care to not be provided by the employee, or paper to not be near the desk.   All of which are very important to the safety of the employee and security of the company.

So, why do these agreements get signed and filed away, and never audited by the employer?  It is clearly not in the best interest of the employer, as these telecommuting employees can have unsafe working conditions, unsecure information, or a multitude of other violations of the agreement.  Perhaps the employer feels that a level of trust goes along with an agreed upon telecommuting situation, or possibly the employer simply does not have the resources or knowledge to complete an in-home audit for these workers.  There are many excuses as to why an employer does not perform audits, but most workers would agree that done in the correct manner, an audit can be beneficial to both the employer and the telecommuting employee.

When an employer has the in-home audit performed, they can be assured that they are doing their due diligence in areas such as worker safety and securing private information.  A random audit can show an employer that the employee has a safe environment, an ergonomically correct work station, and an area free from obstructions – all which can lead to less workers compensation claims.  It can also show an employee is fulfilling their obligations of the telecommuting contract at any given time, especially in the case of securing confidential company information – which can be priceless to a company.

One may ask, how could an employee benefit from an in-home audit of their workspace?   An audit may show that the employee’s work station could be improved, perhaps making it safer or more ergonomic.  Both of these can be invaluable when it comes to overall health.  An audit can show an employee ways to make information more secured, as a second pair of eyes can find things that could simply be overlooked by the home worker.  Finally, it shows the employee that the employer is vested in their long-term employment from home – which to most at-home workers, is considered to be their most important benefit of their job.

A telecommuter audit performed once per quarter is highly suggested for the benefit of both the employer and employee.  Contact HomeSense Telecommuter Auditing today to learn more about unbiased, in-home telecommuter audits, and the benefits of having a regular auditing program for your company.

Diagram for Setting up an Ergonomic Workstation

A helpful diagram for setting up a comfortable and efficient work station at home, using ergonomic recommendations.

Top Five Productivity Tips for Telecommuting Workers

The amount of employees who work from home has grown exponentially in the past decade, as technology has increased our capability to complete tasks at home, which were once only able to do in-office.   Telecommuting is now a desired benefit to many employees for several reasons including flexibility in schedule, decreasing cost of commute, and higher overall productivity.

In February of 2011, Fortune Magazine reported that 82% of companies that made its annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” list allow employees to telecommute or work at home at least 20% of the time.  More than 16 million people already work remotely at least once a month. Based on the historical growth rate reported by WorldatWork (roughly 12% per year), without any acceleration, that number will reach the theoretical maximum of 50 million people by 2018.

HomeSense Telecommuter Auditing suggests an in-home audit for all work-from-home employees, as the service can make many suggestions for safety and compliance with telecommuter agreements, as well as overall productivity.   Call HomeSense today for more information on setting up in-home audits at (480) 659-2738.

 

Top Five Productivity Tips for Telecommuting Workers:

1. Set goals:  Setting goals, whether it is a daily to-do list, or a big project is even more important for telecommuting workers.   It helps the employee stay focused on the “big” picture, especially when at-home distractions are imminent.
2. Maintain a separate workspace:  Having a designated “office” area is imperative for employees who work-from-home.  This gives boundaries to family and roommates, so there is no doubt that the employee is on the clock.  However, it also is a good mental reminder for the employee, that they are in the “office,” and they are working – therefore being more productive and keeping distractions at a minimum.
3. When it’s time to work, it’s time to work: Don’t juggle other jobs, such as parenting or housework, during  office hours.  Distractions such as these are not conducive to maintaining focus on the work-at-hand.  Schedule chores and household duties during  break times, which leads us to tip number four.
4. Take breaks:  How an telecommuter uses a break is up to them, but it is important for mental clarity and overall health to take breaks.  This may be just a 15 minute break every two hours and an hour “lunch” or a five minute break at the end of every hour.
5. Evaluate:  Once per week, a telecommuter should perform a self-evaluation.  What is working?  What is wasting time?  What improvements should be made next week, and what goals should be set?  Self-assessment is key to increasing productivity, as it keeps clear focus on getting work completed efficiently.

How to Choose an Ergonomically Correct Chair

When setting up a home office, choosing an ergonomically correct chair is extremely important.  Since most telecommuting workers will be seated for 7-8 hours per day, a comfortable chair that will support the body is imperative for maintaining overall health by preventing non-accidental injuries, such as in the back or hips.

HomeSense Telecommuter Auditing strongly encourages home office workers to perform a self evaluation using Dr. Triano’s guidelines (below) to see what changes, big or small, can be made immediately.  Even if the telecommuter finds that a new chair is needed, the price of the company supplying a new chair strongly outweighs cost of a worker’s compensation claim due to an injury or strain caused from using an ergonomically incorrect chair.  For more information, or help with an ergonomical workstation evaluation, contact HomeSense Telecommuter Auditing today at (480) 226-0889.

Dr. John J. Triano’s guidelines:

1. Elbow measure

First, begin by sitting comfortably as close as possible to your desk so that your upper arms are parallel to your spine. Rest your hands on your work surface e.g. desktop, computer keyboard). If your elbows are not at a 90-degree angle, adjust your office chair height either up or down.

2. Thigh measure

Check that you can easily slide your fingers under your thigh at the leading edge of the office chair. If it is too tight, you need to prop your feet up with an adjustable footrest. If you are unusually tall and there is more than a finger width between your thigh and the chair, you need to raise the desk or work surface so that you can raise the height of your office chair.

3. Calf measure

With your bottom pushed against the chair back, try to pass your clenched fist between the back of your calf and the front of your office chair. If you can’t do that easily, then the office chair is too deep. You will need to adjust the backrest forward, insert a low back support (such as a lumbar support cushion, a pillow or rolled up towel), or get a new office chair.

4. Low back support

Your bottom should be pressed against the back of your chair, and there should be a cushion that causes your lower back to arch slightly so that you don’t slump forward or slouch down in the chair as you tire over time. This low back support in the office chair is essential to minimize the load (strain) on your back. Never slump or slouch forward in the office chair, as that places extra stress on the structures in the low back, and in particular, on the lumbar discs.

5. Resting eye level

Close your eyes while sitting comfortably with your head facing forward. Slowly open your eyes. Your gaze should be aimed at the center of your computer screen. If your computer screen is higher or lower than your gaze, you need to either raise or lower it to reduce neck strain.

6. Armrest

Adjust the armrest of the office chair so that it just slightly lifts your arms at the shoulders. Use of an armrest on your office chair is important to take some of the strain off your neck and shoulders, and it should make you less likely to slouch forward in your chair.