Remote Workers Suffering from Sore Shoulders and Eye Strain

In Australia, the recent Omicron outbreak has delayed the return-to-office plans for many businesses. As such, employers are once again being reminded of the physical risks associated with telework and how best to prevent them in a recent study.

Public health researches from Kobe University in Japan studied 1,000 workers as they switched to telework during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The researchers said that while telework has been effective in reducing the risk of COVID-19 infection during the pandemic, it has also been associated with certain health problems.

In the study, even after adjustment, higher telework frequency was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of stiff shoulders, eyestrain, and low back pain.

The researchers speculate that these health problems could be attributed to increased sitting time, decreased physical activity, and poor work environment at home.

“To prevent the development of physical symptoms among teleworkers, it is important to reduce sitting time and increase leisure physical activity,” the study says.

“It is likely that teleworkers experience increased sitting time because they communicate with colleagues online while seated and often work in a seated position with the computer at arm’s length.”

“A previous study reported that light-intensity walking breaks may counteract the increased fatigue that arises from remaining in a continuously sedentary position.”

It is also suggested that teleworkers replace their commuting time with the performance of physical activities, such as walking, to ensure that they would have sufficient time for physical activity.

The World Health Organization recommends that adults should perform at least 150 to 300 min of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or at least 75 to 150 min of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout a week.

Importantly, workers who are forced to begin teleworking abruptly may be unable to maintain their normal work environment and, therefore, may have difficulty in adapting.

“Thus, it is also important for companies to educate the work environment teleworkers and supply them with office chairs with armrests, external monitors, keyboards, and computer mice,” the study says.

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