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15 May 2020
by Debbie Bullock

Lockdown, laptops and lower back pain: tips to make home working easier, healthier and pain-free

Working from home is a relatively new experience for many. And because of the speed and urgency of the social distancing measures taken as a result of the current pandemic, it’s likely that the usual health and safety procedures and risk assessments associated with home working didn’t take place.

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While the government isn’t currently mandating that employers should provide their whole workforce with the right equipment for homeworking during the pandemic, employers still have a duty of care to their employees. This means they need to ensure that their employees have safe environments in which to work. 

As the situation becomes clearer and things start to settle down, employers should take steps to satisfy these requirements, prioritising the most vulnerable employees.

In the interim, there are a few simple steps that you can take to help staff mitigate the risk of developing or exacerbating musculoskeletal problems.

As it’s likely that your employees will be working in a seated position for most of the day, the information that follows covers the best way of doing that, followed by some practical tips for while they’re working from home. 

1. Find the right equipment

First, although a bed or sofa might be a cosy place to work from, it could become your employees’ worst enemy as far as their shoulders, neck and back are concerned. All that slumping forward as they survey spreadsheets on a laptop is storing up trouble. Their posture will suffer, so encourage them to find a supportive chair and a table to work from. They could also work standing up for some of the day – from the kitchen counter for example.

If using a laptop, where possible, employees should use a screen, keyboard and a separate mouse, as this will help encourage better posture and prevent back and neck problems. A basic TV monitor without internet connection works well as a substitute screen.  And, if your employees are taking calls regularly, they should use a headset where available to avoid neck strain.

2. Encourage good posture

Encourage your employees to choose a chair with a decent backrest, proving full support for their lower back, making sure their feet are flat on the floor. If they need a back support, encourage them to use a cushion to support their lower back. They can create a footrest from sturdy boxes or books, if they need one.  Books can also be used to prop a screen up – but ensure common sense is applied when selecting them!

They should try to implement the following:

  • position their computer at arms’ length and the top of the screen at or below eye level;
  • hands, wrists and forearms should be kept in a straight line, with elbows close to the body;
  • ideally there should be space above their thighs and room for their legs under the work surface;
  • help prevent glare by adjusting the brightness of their screen to suit the document they’re working on and using blinds/curtains or turning down overhead lights.

3. Connect with the outside world

Encourage your employees to try to find a place in their home where they don’t have to work with their keyboard and screen facing a blank wall.

Connection with the outside world begins with what we can see, just above our screen. It might be a back garden, it could be rooftops, it might be a not-so-busy street, but it’s your employees’ physical window on the world. Each home is different, but what they should look for is known as a ‘command position’ that puts them in control. Basically, they should choose a position in the room that they work in that is furthest from the door and that also enables them to look out of a window. They’ll feel better for it.

4. Stay hydrated

You should encourage your employees to drink plenty of water. This has numerous benefits, including helping to keep their eyes hydrated, and helping to prevent eye strain. In addition, your employees will also need to take regular breaks – for obvious reasons!

5. Take regular breaks

Of course, there’s more to homeworking health than workstations. It’s essential to take regular breaks from work – ideally every 20 minutes. Your employees should use the time to stretch, or simply get away from the screen by taking a stroll.

The exercise rules have recently been updated and vary according to where an individual lives. Under the current government guidance, those in England can exercise outside of the home as many times a day as they might wish, and can now even drive to destinations to exercise. In Scotland and Wales, people can also exercise more than once a day, but populations in these areas have been advised that any exercise should start and end at home. In Northern Ireland strict lockdown rules remain in place until the end of May.  

Musculoskeletal conditions like back pain responds to exercise, so every step an employee takes is great for their health in the lockdown. If your employees have access to a garden, encourage them to use that, or if their home is big enough, they could even walk around inside.

Check out our Remote Control Guide on taking control of your wellbeing in remote working environments for more useful tips to help you and your employees maintain your wellbeing during this period.

The author is Debbie Bullock, UK Wellbeing lead, Aviva UK.

This article is provided by Aviva UK.

In partnership with Aviva

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