Workplace Ergonomics Problems and Solutions: Working from Home

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2020, many employees requested to work from home (WFH). During this WFH period, some employees encountered health issues related to sprains and neck or back pain owing to poor working conditions at home. As the WFH trend may continue over a prolonged period, the actual causes and solutions to ergonomic issues must be addressed to reduce injuries. Purpose: This study aims to identify the ergonomic issues encountered when working from home and suggest several solutions to minimise these issues. Methods: A qualitative ethnographic methodology was adopted. This study included a focus group discussion among experts from the fields of higher education, healthcare, human resource (HR), and ergonomics. The most common ergonomic issues identified were based on diagnoses and observations in previous studies. Results: The panelists agreed on ergonomics issues—comprising the use of unergonomic chairs, incorrect sitting postures, irregular arrangement of key objects, improper reach distances of the laptop/keyboard/mouse, poor desk designs, footrest absence, distortion/noise, poor lighting, and poor work environment. In the long run, WFH ergonomics issues may lead to burnout, carpal tunnel syndrome or other cumulative trauma disorders, high blood pressure, and stress on the cervical spine and neck. The proposed solutions include a complete WFH ergonomics and wellness checklist for employees and employers, webinar sessions on WFH ergonomics, meet-up sessions with ergonomics or HR experts, workspace rentals for co-workers, implementation of the 20-20-20 rule and job-sharing practices, and the involvement of employers or the government in procuring ergonomic equipment for WFH employees. Conclusions: This is a preliminary study and the researchers are exploring the root causes of WFH ergonomics issues and proposed solutions. While previous studies have examined workplace ergonomics, this study only focuses on WFH ergonomic issues and solutions during the ongoing pandemic.