Many individuals shifted to a work-from-home situation in the Spring of 2020 and have remained there almost 18 months later. Further, many are expected to remain working at home into the near future, and potentially permanently. Several survey-based and observational studies have been conducted during the pandemic that may provide insights into the future of work-from-home.

Most individuals have been sent home with laptops without any other accessories such as external keyboards, monitors or a mouse. Findings show laptop use is very prevalent and prolonged, and that workers are commonly utilizing non-optional chairs. These behaviors have resulted in high levels of body discomfort (reports of moderate to severe pain by 49% of respondents for the neck and head, 45% for low back, and 62% for upper back and shoulders). If workers are going to continue to work-from-home, companies will need to accommodate them with more than a laptop, including other equipment such as an external keyboard, monitor, and mouse, along with both ergonomics education and a workstation evaluation.

About the presenters

Dr. Kermit Davis is a Professor at the University of Cincinnati where he is the graduate program director of the Environmental and Occupational Hygiene and Occupational Safety and Ergonomics programs at the University of Cincinnati.  Dr. Davis is a past-President of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) and a Fellow of HFES (2013) and American Industrial Hygiene Association (2019). His research has concentrated on reducing ergonomic stressors of healthcare workers and patients in healthcare settings (e.g., hospitals, long-term care facilities, and home healthcare). In the last year, his research has focused on virtual offices.

Dr. Susan Kotowski is an Associate Professor at the University of Cincinnati, College of Allied Health Sciences. She currently serves as the Secretary-Treasurer for the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. She is also active in the American Industrial Hygiene Association and the Ergonomics Committee. In addition to teaching, Dr. Kotowski researches in the area of healthcare, particularly in relation to care provider, patient and product interactions and intervention effectiveness, but her varied interests also keep her tied to research in other areas such as office ergonomics and student learning. Dr. Kotowski is also a Certified Professional Ergonomist.

Registration

This is a free webinar, but registration is required to reserve your spot. Please complete the online registration form and you will receive a confirmation email containing the webinar login details.

For assistance, please contact Betina Butler at bbutler@uwaterloo.ca.