Ergonomics is, first and foremost, about culture. It’s easy for employees to feel that “my employer won’t let me clock out now,” or “I need to work myself into the ground.” These are not healthy thoughts.  However, they are rather common when considering the cultural pressure placed on some employees.   Employees need to feel comfortable to break when needed, rest their eyes from the computer, and perform critical stretches to limit strain.

Expanding to Cleveland & Detroit

When thinking of where to expand to, the Midwest cities of Cleveland and Detroit came to mind. Here we had the image of hard-working Americans working in the factories. Of course, the reality is more complex. But there is something to that image.

A Great Working Culture

With employee putting in long hours, some companies have responded in kind.   Some cute examples:

1) Quicken Loans give cakes to employees on their birthday.

2) Progressive provides a flexible working culture.  They train employee to advance their technical skills and advance in the company .

3) GM provides employees with personalized mentorship and offers various career advancement opportunities.

Companies invest in their employees fostering loyalty and productivity.  Ergonomics, then, is the next step in employee investment. It’s about looking at employee health individually while seeing how he or she fits into the company’s greater parts. It’s about recognizing injury risk and preventing problems before they begin. Our ergonomic specialists are trained in rehab and preventative medicine. We can identify why companies experience more claims and what can be done to avoid repetitive strain injuries in the future. So to conclude: Detroit and Cleveland companies… we are here for you.

Thanks for reading!

Shaul Lent OT/L, MA, CEAS
Lead Ergonomic Specialist
Ergonomics Advance.