Employees who are happy, healthy and provided with the correct equipment to do their job well will work more effectively. Increased productivity means increased profits, and this can only be a good thing for businesses in the current economic climate.
Increasing productivity is not an easy task for employers and it can prove expensive and time consuming, but there are certain quick fixes which can have a positive effect on employees and in turn organisational productivity.
Employees who spend more than 10% of their time on the telephone can suffer neck and back discomfort.
It has also been reported that long periods holding a telephone to your ear or supporting a telephone to your ear on your shoulder can cause repetitive strain injury which has become known as ‘phone neck’.
This usually occurs while an employee is attempting to multi-task, using a computer keyboard to look up information whilst on the telephone to a customer.
This is typical of many employees working in insurance companies, telesales companies, banks or as market researchers.
Employees in this position are likely to develop poor posture or muscle issues from spending lengthy periods in an un-natural position.
To avoid this from happening and to promote the health and well-being of employees who may be suffering in this situation, employers should consider investing in telephone headsets.
Headsets are hands free allowing for more flexibility and hand movement, they improve posture by relaxing the shoulders and allowing the head to be held up straight, and promote good hygiene.
When the employee is relaxed and feeling positive about their health their productivity increases.
Better movement allows multi-tasking to be done more effectively, and the positioning of the headset and the ease of using it encourages a clearer and more effective telephone conversation.
Several studies have identified the link between improved performance and the use of headsets for employees whose positions require them to be telephone based for lengthy periods of time.
This is something that businesses cannot afford to ignore.