Using research in the fields of ergonomics and psychology as well as my own personal experience learned as an occupational therapist and ergonomist, I will explore how administrators can practically structure employee routines and create a culture of wellness without hampering productivity.
Human resource specialists usually instruct employees about ergonomics when they first start working. They might give employee’s handouts with ergonomic stretches. Many times, they will hang placards in the office instructing workers to take two 15 minute breaks and a thirty minute lunch break. Despite good intentions, employees usually pay little attention to this information. They continue to work through their lunch break and ignore the recommended stretches.
Creating a Company Culture
To increase follow through, HR specialists and administrators must consistently provide wellness information in different forms. Handouts and placards must be used in addition to positive reinforcement, regular ergonomic lectures, and wellness instructional videos. HR specialists should try to create a top-down culture of ergonomic consciousness. Employees should be able to visibly notice CEOs, CFOs, and HR directors taking the time to break and stretch. This gives employees the “green light” to focus on ergonomics.
Managing Workload and Employee Wellness
Project managers should aim to decrease the conflict between employee wellness and work demands. Researchers have found that even more important than company culture, a poor relationship with the supervisor and workload can contribute to stress (Rani & Kumar, 2017). While time pressure and job deadlines are a must in any office setting, managers must ensure that they are not discouraging proper ergonomic practice.
Imagine a project manager named George who instructs his employees to take regular breaks. A few days later, George gives his team a large project. Because his team will need to complete the project in a week, employees work long hours and will be inclined to skip breaks.
Managing both work demands and employee wellness is a hard task. HR specialists must take into account various obligations: work demands, time constraints, and employee personalities. However, manager can make a difference with some foresight. Before a project is even assigned, administrators should take into account the number of employees that will be assigned to the project, employee work habits, and time constraints. While there is no formula to predict exactly how many people should take on a particular assignment, taking a few minutes to consider worker behavior history and prioritizing can prevent future ergonomic problems.
An Example
Project manager, George, recognizes that he has not been considering ergonomic needs when assigning projects. For the next assignment, he will try to be more conscious. He knows that two employee, Lisa and Brian, work well together. They have been able to complete a similar project (but about half the size of the current one) in about 2 days. George gives Brian and Lisa 4 days to complete the project. He reminds them that the client is expecting the assignment in 4 days. However, if they are having trouble finishing, they should ask him to take on some of the load. Additionally, George found that Brian tends to skip his lunch break when working on these types of projects. George, therefore, reminds him that he would rather ask the customer for an extension or do some of the work himself than have Brian skip his work breaks. He explains to Brian, “Completing the project is important, however employee wellness is a must.”
While George’s attitude and instructions might change in different industries, readers can understand from the above example how administrators should consider work demands, time constraints, and employee personalities before assigning tasks. Understanding worker behavior history, George determined that Lisa and Brian work efficiently together. They were able to complete a similar project in 2 days. Though similar, the current project is double the size. George, therefore, gave Lisa and Brian 4 days to complete the assignment. He also understands his employees work habits. He found that Brian was skipping breaks. He, therefore, spoke to him one-on-one to prioritize employee wellness and inform him of other ways to finish the project without neglecting wellness.
Leadership Consistency
Most importantly, administrators and project managers should provide consistent information. Wellness and work instructions as well as company culture should be aligned. Employees hate when they are told to take regular breaks, however, others look at them askance when they go outside for a walk. Consistency is one of the most important aspects for promoting work satisfaction. Researchers determined that consistency can even help maintain cardiovascular health. This is especially true for employees with low control of their work (Hartvigsen et al., 2004).
Conclusion
Administrators ensure that employees understand the importance of their work demands. Customers are waiting; employees must complete projects on time. However, in the process of satisfying customers, employee wellness should not suffer. Project managers and HR specialists can use various techniques to promote wellness and proper ergonomics. First, administrators should offer various methods to present ergonomic information. HR specialists can provide employees with ergonomic and wellness handouts along with scheduling regular presentations, individual assessments, and employee ergonomic videos. Most importantly, the CEO should be practicing ergonomic and wellness principles. From the CEO, the CFOs, managers, and lower level employees will have the “green light” to take the time to practice good ergonomics. Second, projects managers must effectively manage employee workloads and wellness. With foresight and considering employee behavior history, administrators can effectively manage their teams without neglecting wellness. Finally, project managers should provide consistent advice about workloads, wellness, and ergonomics. Administrator and HR specialists should aim to have wellness instructions, work assignments, and company culture aligned.