A lot of people working office jobs tend to spend at least 40+ hours a week sat at a desk staring at a computer. Not only is this bad for our posture, weight and eye sight, it can also lead to stress and mental health problems as a result. For a lot of companies these ailments that employees are suffering from can be costly in both sick leave and claims, so as an employer what are you liable for and how can you prevent them?
Back Problems
Claims for back problems can be immensely high if the pain suffered is severe or constant, so can be hugely costly to employers. Although back injuries are often common in manual labour jobs where correct manual handling techniques are not being used, they’re also increasing in desk jobs. A way many offices are trying to combat this is by introducing standing desks so that employees are on their feet all day instead of slouching over a desk. It can be really beneficial. Back problems are one of the worst results of a sitting desk job and can cause employees lots of problems later on in life. If employees are standing all day the 8 hours they would spend slumped are instantly much more active.
Repetitive strain injury
Desk workers are most susceptible to RSI as the nature of their job means carrying out repetitive movements’ day in day out. To help protect employees from suffering from RSI later on in life it’s a good idea to introduce yoga stretches and different typing methods so their hand movements are varied more throughout the day. Many ailments can be classes as RSI from carpal tunnel syndrome to tennis elbow and trigger finger.
Sight problems
Whether its blurred vision, red eyes, headaches or eye strain, staring at a computer screen all day cannot be good for you. More and more people are experiencing problems with their sight after working in office jobs for a long period of time. As an employer you should be offering free eye tests to your employees who spend most of their day on a display screen and encourage them to take regular breaks.
As an employer you need to be prepared for these types of claims coming in and do your very best to prevent them by looking after your employees’ health. Take a look at Carrs Solicitors for a little bit more information on exactly how much each claim could cost you.
