Member Article

UK workforce 'made ill by workplace'

Three quarters of Britons are suffering from chronic health problems due to the workplace, according to new research. Eye fatigue was the biggest complaint, closely followed by back strain and headaches. Spending too long at their computers without taking regular breaks is the cause of most of the symptoms. The younger generation are suffering the most, with 80% of 16 to 24-year-olds suffering from eye fatigue according to ViewSonic’s survey of 1,500 office workers.

The rise in work based health problems is attributed to the amount of time people spend chained to their desks. Nearly half the country’s office workers spend over six hours a day in front of their computers and less than half take regular breaks. A third of workers say it is management or peer pressure that keeps their noses to the grindstone, and almost half of workers say they have been offered no advice on the best desktop layout or ergonomics best practice in the last 12 months.

Mel Taylor, Vice President, Director of European Marketing, ViewSonic said: “The research shows that not only are we a workforce plagued by chronic ill-health, but that we lack the will to change at both an individual and corporate level. “We urge both employers and employees to change this casual attitude to ergonomics – companies can do a lot more to instill better working practices but armed with even a little more knowledge, employees can look after themselves a lot more effectively too.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .