Workers still sulking at kitchen counters or sinking into recliners might want to upgrade if they are continuing their work-from-home routines in the post-COVID business world.
Studies have found more musculoskeletal injuries since the pandemic are partly due to lousy posture while working at home. Twin Cities Orthopedics (TCO) has tended to more worn-out wrists, shoulders and necks, often because people switched to makeshift workspaces.
“When someone goes from working at a desk to working on a couch with a laptop, you can guarantee there is going to be issues,” said Anthony Nagy, who set up a home office ergonomics consultation program at TCO.
Minnesota appears at risk. More than 1 in 5 employed Minnesotans reported primarily working from home in 2021, the ninth-highest rate among states, according to an analysis from the state’s Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
“Even after the pandemic has waned, many employers are choosing to permanently allow employees to work remotely, signaling a long-term shift in where work is done,” wrote Cameron Macht, a DEED analyst.
Working from home doesn’t have to be so un-officelike. Brazilian research showed telecommuters before the pandemic set up ergonomic home offices. But after COVID-19 emerged, people crammed into whatever spaces they could find, often because they had to work around spouses or children taking online classes.
The state’s private employers reported 73,100 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2022, an injury rate that exceeded the national number. Minnesota responded with new ergonomic standards designed to protect employees from injuries in some of the highest-risk workplaces such as warehouses, meatpacking plants and hospitals. The rate of work-related musculoskeletal injuries is lower by comparison among office workers, but orthopedic centers have reported a steady or rising number of such patients in the work-from-home era.
Here are some ways to make sure your work setup isn’t cramping your style:
