Constantly staring at phones and laptop screens can have a negative impact on your posture. How many hours a day do you spend slumped forward, sitting at a desk or staring at your phone?
Now that so many people are home working or hybrid working, the situation has worsened. Poor posture among office workers is rising, and employers can’t always control or assess your workstation when you work from home.
The reality for many people is that their home office is somewhere between the couch and the kitchen! Even at a desk, the home office equipment may not be as suited for sitting 8-10 hours a day. So, we are storing up a whole heap of trouble for further down the line.
Posture in the Workplace
According to Zinda Law Firm, employers have a duty to provide a safe working space. Premises accidents can include slip and falls on wet floors due to inadequate signage or malfunctioning equipment that employees have reported previously for safety hazards.
While most people think of accidents in the workplace as direct traumas, injuries can result over a more extended period. Incorrectly aligned office furniture or inadequate supervision resulting in a workplace accident can fall under premises liability.
Poor posture may also be grounds for a premises claim, with workers reporting increased maladies due to poor posture from sitting all day at a work station. The issue has increased with remote and hybrid working.
Poor posture and working practice over a long period can result in problems like RSI – Repetitive Strain Injury – and long-term muscle damage to the shoulders, neck, and spine.
Some Self-Help
Employees must alert their employer to problems experienced during long hours of screen time. This collective responsibility for your health is vital if you want to pursue a claim for a medical issue incurred at work.
However, as a matter of pure practicality, there are plenty of yoga exercises that can help correct poor posture and alleviate aches, pains and headaches.
If you don’t take action, some skeletal changes can become permanent and result in irreversible life changes to your health.
Manage Your Screen Time
Did you know that the average American spends more than seven hours every day looking at a screen?
Try and reduce your screen time. Admittedly, this is tricky if you use a computer for a living. Consider how much time you spend on a screen away from work and limit it. There are other benefits to your health and wellbeing from doing this too.
Other options include investing in a standing desk. You don’t need to make a significant investment, and you could persuade your employer to purchase this equipment for you.
Conclusion
It will be another few years before we understand the profound impact of working from home. But for now, there are things you can do to mitigate the damage.
Look at your workstation at home and in the office, talk to your employer, limit your screen time and stand up as much as possible. If you think you may already be experiencing negative health issues due to posture, take medical advice and, if necessary, talk to an attorney.