Although employer interest in making workplaces fun, healthy, and productive places has grown over the past decade, some workplaces still cause problems.
Forbes and The Financial Post asked this week, “Is your office making you sick?” Here are some things to watch for:
1. Workplaces and “cold” symptoms:
Everything from mold spores to office furniture that lets off formaldehyde gases to changes in humidity can affect a worker’s upper respiratory system. If you suffer from the sniffles, “the best thing to do is to get an industrial hygienist,” says Berman. Multiple employee complaints may indicate “sick building syndrome,” and an industrial hygienist will be able to test the air for toxins and irritants and advise a company on how to improve the air quality.
2. Workplaces and stress (part I)
Despite many valid concerns, Dr. Berman says he also hears from workers who experience “phantom air quality issues” where testing has shown no traceable toxins.
“It’s amazing the kinds of things that can create an air quality issue where there isn’t one,” says Dr. Berman. Stress, conflict, and low morale can all contribute to perceived air quality issues.
3. Workplaces and stress (part II)
According to findings compiled last year by researchers at the Healthy Lifestyle Program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, one-fourth of employees view their jobs as the No. 1 stressor in their lives.
4. Muscle aches
According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, almost 2 million workers suffer from such musculoskeletal disorders, including elbow tendinitis, wrist pain, and lower back problems.
“We tell people to try to find their comfort zone and follow some guidelines,” she says. Jacobs recommends that workers shift positions frequently, stretch regularly, and equip their desks with the basics, including an adjustable chair, keyboard tray, foot rest, and proper lighting.
The article suggests that office workers need to take charge of their overall health by leading a healthy lifestyle as well as acting to reduce stress and workplace irritants.
It’s hard to be creative if you can’t breath properly, your back hurts, and your job is generating unnecessary stress.
Does your workplace negatively affect your health?
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:43 am
Yes, a resounding yes - your workplace can absolutely affect your health. And it can affect your relationship and your mental state and then some. We spend most of our waking hours working. If that environment isn’t healthy and happy the majority of the time, you’re going to suffer. Sometimes there is nothing an employee can do about the job they’re in or the working conditions they have to endure - demanding, non-empathetic, and poorly trained supervisors can make daily life miserable. The only way you can personally take control in a situation like that is to find another job. Some work stress simply cannot be controlled within the environment that’s creating the stress. After two jobs where my employers put the work first and my health at the very bottom of everything else, I’ve learned that you have to make yourself number one and make no apologies about it. No one else will do it for you. Boundaries have to become one of your best friends.