Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

ErgonomicsResearchMusculoskeletal disordersWellbeing and health promotionWellbeing

Home working linked to rise in musculoskeletal disorders

by Ashleigh Webber 22 Jan 2021
by Ashleigh Webber 22 Jan 2021 Shutterstock
Shutterstock

More than a third (37.7%) of musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) cases were connected to work in 2020, compared with just 1.4% in 2019.

According to analysis of data compiled by THOR-gP by health and safety consultants Arinite, keyboard work was the third biggest cause of MSDs, responsible for 11.3% of cases, behind heavy lifting (27.8%) and materials manipulation (19.4%).

Working from home

Working from home: do staff have suitable equipment?

Working from home: four in five develop musculoskeletal pain

Arinite attributed the rise in work-related MSDs to the increase in employees working from home – where their equipment may not be sufficiently set up – during lockdowns. In 2019, 5.1% of workers mainly worked in their own home, but this increased to 46.6% last year, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Robert Winsloe, Arinite managing director, said: “Creating a suitable at-home work environment is crucial to preventing employees developing physical issues that can have long-term implications.

“Although not everyone has a home office, there are always adjustments you can make or adaptations you can add to equipment to create a more supportive set-up.

“Even if workers have a dedicated workspace, it doesn’t mean they’re informed of how to operate in a way that protects themselves from aches and pains.

“With homeworking likely to continue into the future, employers should consider how to care for their remote staff’s wellbeing as part of their health and safety practices.Putting precautions in place will prepare businesses for the possibility of remote working remaining commonplace.”

Last year, Beth Husted, rehabilitation and wellbeing manager at Unum, offered some advice that can be passed on to employees who are regularly working from home.

She said individuals should always sit at a desk or a table; use a separate keyboard and mouse; position their screen so the top is level with their eyes, perhaps using a laptop stand or a separate monitor; sit on an adjustable chair with back support; and use a footrest if needed to prevent feet from dangling.

She said: “While laptops allow for remote working, what makes a laptop useful also causes problems. The low screen and the small keyboard encourage the body to hunch forward and doesn’t provide the proper support for your wrists. Using a laptop for long periods of time can wreak havoc on posture and cause repetitive strain injuries in the fingers and hands.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“A laptop also encourages people to opt for makeshift workstations rather than a proper desk. These can cause huge postural and muscles problems, with hours spent in unsupported and unsuitable positions that put the spine in particular, under huge strain.”

A survey by charity Versus Arthritis in September found that 89% of those suffering with back, shoulder or neck pain as a result of their new home workspace had not told their employer about it.

Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is a former editor of OHW+ and former HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support.

previous post
Risk of hospital readmission high among discharged Covid-19 patients
next post
Health and hygiene protocols guide produced for travel firms

1 comment

Rachel Armstrong 26 Jan 2021 - 4:48 am

This article is a true story. Not everyone who works from home has a comfortable home office set up. Also, not everyone knows how to properly set up their equipment, like positioning their screen so the top is level with their eyes. Hence, aches and pains.
Very informative article. Keep sharing!

Comments are closed.

You may also like

Gen X storing up health problems by failing...

28 Mar 2025

Keep Britain Working review urging employers to ‘tell...

21 Mar 2025

Half of adults globally set to be obese...

3 Mar 2025

Investing in health key to kickstarting growth, argues...

24 Feb 2025

Employees able to get weight loss jabs through...

14 Feb 2025

Child physiotherapy in crisis – with lifelong health...

31 Jan 2025

BMI too simplistic as a measure for obesity,...

16 Jan 2025

Workplaces urged to revisit and refresh first aid...

6 Jan 2025

Building health: Enhancing worker safety on winter construction...

16 Dec 2024

NHS to test return-to-work ‘accelerators’ as part of...

9 Dec 2024

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today