A remote worker typing away while lounging on a comfy couch or bed is a familiar image. When employees do this routinely, however, they can develop musculoskeletal disorders<\/a> (MSD), which is not only bad news for their quality of life but also impacts business via increased healthcare costs<\/a> and decreased productivity.<\/p>\n Companies that wish to permanently adopt remote work must do more than simply send workers home with a laptop. Ensuring remote employees are operating with good ergonomics and have a positive at-home work environment is essential to long-term remote work success.<\/p>\n When remote workers operate with poor ergonomics, the impact on a company\u2019s bottom line can be significant. The Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a> cites MSDs as the most common type of workplace injury, amounting to around 30 percent of worker compensation costs.<\/strong><\/p>\n The problem has only worsened when COVID-19 sent workers everywhere home for months. One survey found that 40 percent of employees<\/a> developed new or worsened MSDs once they began working from home at the beginning of the pandemic. Insurance companies backed this up, predicting a rise in disability claims<\/a> for 2021, in part because employees were working under less-than-ideal conditions.<\/p>\n While research shows that remote workers are often more engaged<\/a> and happier than their peers in less flexible arrangements, poor ergonomics can offset those gains. Away from well-lit, ergonomically designed offices with perks such as coffee machines and snacks, remote employees can feel decreased job satisfaction<\/a>. Ensuring they have a good setup is key to combating this.<\/p>\n Kermit Davis, a professor of the University of Cincinnati in the College of Medicine\u2019s Department of Environment and Public Health Sciences and a certified professional ergonomist, conducted surveys<\/a> of university faculty and staff at the beginning of the pandemic and again in October. The main finding: Most workers\u2019 at-home setups had poor ergonomics, leading to prevalent back, shoulder and neck discomfort.<\/p>\n According to Davis, an ergonomically correct at-home workstation would start with a desk, table or chair (no beds, couches or the floor) and would also include:<\/p>\n Ergonomics doesn\u2019t end with having the proper equipment and setup, however. It\u2019s no secret that too much sitting is bad for your health<\/a> \u2013 studies have linked it with increased risks of diabetes, heart disease and even death.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Basics of Good Ergonomics<\/h2>\n
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