80% of Employers are guilty!

More than three quarters of UK employers (80 per cent) are guilty of letting homemade workstation solutions jeopardise the safety and comfort of employees, according to a new European survey. The survey, found that despite over half of companies (62 per cent) acknowledging that as employers they have a duty to influence the physical and mental health of their staff, it is clear from the research that work demands, physical health and the working environment are not being correctly addressed, as 22 per cent of employees raised concerns that they experience physical discomfort at their desk on a daily basis. The research throws into question how equipped, skilled or trained those responsible for completing workstation assessments are in UK workplaces and how much damage is this ‘make do and mend’ culture having on the health and wellbeing of the workforce. In over a quarter of organisations (27 per cent), staff raised concerns that their monitor or display screens were not appropriate for their needs and more than one fifth (21 per cent) of office based staff weren’t aware of any legal requirements when assessing a display screen. The topic of employee wellbeing has grown in popularity over the past few years, especially with the recovery of the job market and the need to attract and retain the right calibre of employee. However, it is still evident that some businesses are overlooking the importance of their staff’s health and wellbeing needs. Creating a safe environment so an employee feels both at ease and comfortable will only improve productivity and benefit organisations in the long term. This latest research further supports the fact that getting the nation working well is so important for staff morale and maximising productivity in the workplace. And while 66 per cent of employers admit that these factors do affect ergonomic purchasing decisions, only 21 per cent of companies have purchased ergonomic products to resolve these issues within the past six months, fuelling this rising ‘make do and mend’ office culture. However, of those companies who have invested in ergonomic products, 66 per cent have reported seeing enhancements in the performance of their staff..

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