Partner Article

The economics of remote working – Ergonomically speaking

If your commute into work today has left you stressed out and feeling like a sardine in a can and you are reading this in a crowded office, surrounded by distracting noises, your mind already filling with dread thinking about your commute home, then you are certainly not alone; you are just one of the 3 million people who commute daily on the London Underground. Even when those two little words that strike fear into the most seasoned commuter “strike action” are heard, it is estimated that as many as 75% will still have to battle to and from the office.

With the technology we have today why are so many of us continuing to trudge into work on a daily basis? Research carried out by Stanford University discovered that remote workers are more productive by at least 13%, enjoy a quieter working environment than their commuting colleagues and take fewer sick days.

Remote working also helps boost morale. Employees find it easier to find a better work-life balance by working flexibly and this can help reduce the costs and resource associated with staff turnover.

Remote working is now a way of life for many employees and it is has been proven to be increasingly key to the overall efficiency and productivity of many organisations. But there’s more to remote working than just a good wireless or mobile phone connection.

This relatively new way of working demands a certain culture, mind-set and masses or organisation. Essentially remote working is not based on hours and attendance but on performance and output, if implemented well, the advantages are very significant.

Remote working isn’t about sitting in front of the TV with a laptop; serious remote workers require new equipment and workstations allowing them to work flexibly, remotely and productively from a home office environment. All these forms of working demand a practical and healthy solution which is where specific equipment and ergonomics come in.

Companies such as BakkerElkhuizen who are based in the Netherlands but have resellers across the UK, specialise in the design of Ergonomic office equipment are being applauded on their research and subsequent product design when dealing with health and safety issues associated with remote working. Being hunched over a laptop in a confined space will not only give you a bad back but will in turn effect productivity, which is why Ergonomics play such a huge part of the remote working elite.

The advantages have slowly become apparent: greater freedom in planning your own working hours, less time wasted on commuting, a smaller requirement for office space and consequently lower facility costs and less impact on the environment.

There are however some simple legalities that employers who allow their staff to work remotely must adhere to, or at least recognise which do have an effect on remote working in an ergonomically-responsible way.

Employer Legalities

If you are an employer then from a legal standpoint, you are responsible for providing good and safe working conditions for all of your employees whether they work “in-house” or remotely; obviously if your staff work at home or at various different locations you will have less insight and control over their way of working.

Checking whether an employee’s workstation complies with the minimum standards, and/or whether an employee works in an ergonomically responsible way or works, for example, with a laptop on his/her lap on the couch, is not so simple.

Statutory Minimum Requirements

The EU Directive 90/270/EEC determines that “employers are responsible for a safe workplace”, by virtue of which employers must ensure that home work stations are set up according to ergonomic principles.

Another obligation is regularly taking stock of and evaluating risks. Employers must have a clear picture of the working risks and must also indicate what measures they are going to take to eliminate or reduce these risks. Employers must obtain information on these working risks and on the measures to be taken to limit them. The EU Directive 90/270/EEC also stipulates minimum requirements as regards furnishing workstations. For both mobile and home workstations, the following points are most important:

The screen must swivel and tilt easily and freely to suit the needs of the operator;

The keyboard shall be “tilt-able” and separate from the screen so as to allow the worker to find a comfortable working position avoiding fatigue in the arms or hands.

A laptop does not comply with the requirements above as the keyboard is not separate from the screen and therefore cannot be tilted freely. To compensate for this, use can be made of a laptop holder in combination with an external keyboard and mouse, or a docking station and an external VDU and keyboard can be used.

The work desk or work surface shall have a sufficiently large, low-reflectance surface and allow a flexible arrangement of the screen, keyboard, documents and related equipment.

A kitchen table, coffee table or lap unfortunately will not comply with these minimum requirements and contrary to popular belief are highly unsuitable and not recognised as a healthy, EU compliant ergonomic workstation.

So if you are currently working from home, or a remote location or are considering this as a viable option look into ergonomic workstations before you start; correct posture and seating could be the difference between a productive and healthy career versus your Chiropractors number on speed dial.

For a full range of ergonomic workplace options why not take a look at the BakkerElkhuizen website www.bakkerelkhuizen.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lucie Turner .