The Health and Safety Executive have updated their guidance, making it a requirement now to look after your employees when they are working from home.
We have witnessed, directly, the significant impact that homeworking has had on the mental and physical wellbeing on the employees we speak to. Having had the joy of meeting people in person again, when conducting office assessments, I am very concerned about the impact that the return to homeworking will have. So many I spoke to were so relieved at being able to come back to the office again, albeit on a hybrid basis, reporting on the significant difference it was making on their emotional and musculoskeletal health. Indeed, many employees had joined during lockdown and were having the first opportunity to connect and learn from their colleagues, as well as experiencing the company culture.
I therefore believe that it is not only law, but a moral responsibility to look after employees when working from home, to mitigate some of the pressures it causes.
When we provide assessments, checking for biomechanical risk factors are just the starting point. Creating behavioural change is essential, as well as addressing stress and other psychological causes of musculoskeletal issues.
Due to the stress caused by change and uncertainty, one of my favourite top tips at the moment is to perform regular body scans, check in for areas of tension build up and use your breath and attention to relax those areas – great for shoulder pain!
Contact us at [email protected] for more information of our remote homeworker assessment services.
