In early March, AUFA asked for feedback from AU staff about ergonomic issues. This request followed an increase in queries and complaints about ergonomic and accommodations over the past several months. Approximate 120 staff members provided feedback (the survey was open to AUPE and CUPE members as well) and this blog post summarizes the feedback.
Satisfaction with current office set-up
We asked respondents to rate their current home office set up using a 5-star rating system. The following chart suggests that most respondents consider their current set up as more or less adequate.
Nevertheless, the comments indicated that many staff members do not have ideal working conditions and are simply making do given the circumstances. Many respondents indicated their desks, chairs, and computer equipment is inadequate for their needs. Some indicated that their living space is inadequate for a home office set-up.
Concerningly, many respondents indicated they are experiencing discomfort because (1) they do not have adequate office set-ups and (2) their computer work has become more intensive. This has caused or is leading to workplace injuries. Here is a sample of the comments received:
Back pain, arm pain, eye strain - need to have better equipment but I don't know if I'll need to move back after the pandemic so I'm reluctant to spend a lot of money getting better equipment (e.g. new ergonomic desk & chair) when I won't be able to bring those to a new place if required to move
Working on a lap top means that either my hands are too high or my neck is straining down. I'm suffering from several resulting problems. I've requested an ergonomic assessment from AU, but haven't heard back.
I have neck pain from work days in front of screen. There have been many longer days and more on-screen meetings in the pandemic, and I am also being asked to do a lot of service work [personal details redacted].
No sit and stand desk (like I had at the University), home computer chair not suited for long hours. I have been experiencing terrible lower back pain the past 3 weeks. I need to investigate proper ergonomic seating, but don't know where to begin and what sort of financial support is available. A medical note is required to acquire any ergonomic equipment (eg. sit/stand desk)
Satisfaction with ergonomic support by AU
We also asked for input regarding staff members’ experiences with the current support provided by AU. Here, 50% of respondents provided a one- or two-star rating, suggesting that many have not had satisfactory experiences.
The comments reveal some common concerns about employees’ experiences seeking support from the university:
Unresponsive: Some respondents flagged that HR does not promptly or effectively respond to ergo requests.
Intrusive and slow: Some respondents indicated that the process is overly bureaucratic, cumbersome, very slow, and potentially intrusive.
Inconsistent or lacking information: There appears to be confusion about the requirement for medical notes to seek ergonomic support or accommodations, or perhaps inconsistencies in the application of this requirement. Some respondents indicated they are not aware of current information or processes.
Unqualified and uncomfortable: Some respondents questioned the qualifications of AU’s ergo assessor. Others expressed distrust in the assessor or HR more generally.
Inadequate funding: The $1000 payment to new home office workers is widely viewed as inadequate to acquire proper equipment for workers newly moved home. Long-term teleworkers (who may have received $2000 upon hire) have not received any funding to replace worn out equipment or address new needs (e.g., due to aging or greater intensity of use).
While some comments and ratings do indicate satisfaction with AU’s current processes, negative ratings and concerned comments were far more numerous. This may point to inconsistencies in application or, more seriously, some systemic inequities. Here is a sampling of the comments that were received:
I tried to be in touch with ergonomic support several times. They often did not reply to my emails. I am in the process of trying to get a doctor's note so I can get better accommodations. I have mostly been getting responses through AUFA, as ergonomic support has not been answering my emails.
I haven't engaged with AU on some ergonomic issues I've had since before the pandemic. The requirement for a doctor's note to get a standing desk is kind of silly though. you'd think that for people who sit at their desk all day long it would just be standard.
Need ergo assessment and new desk; AU gave me $2k 15 years ago to set up an office and nothing since. The stuff I bought has all fallen apart and my needs have changed as I've aged. I am choosing not to engage with AU because everything about HR is untrustworthy and I doubt they'll do anything even if I ask.
The funding provided by AU allowed me to upgrade my phone and internet package and purchase a wi-fi range booster so that I could do my job from home. But after taxes, it was not nearly enough upgrade my desk (with existing back issues-I had a sit stand - which are very expensive).
I filed a ergonomic request before or around Dec 2020, nothing happened, no email /response
I have never received any funding for work space. I have paid out of pocket for all my office set up and when ever I have asked for funding, I have typically gotten run around. So, I stopped.
My home is not set up to accommodate an actual office, so have been working at a dining table. I haven't reached out for support because I don't think AU is willing to build an addition onto my home to accommodate an office. If I would have known we were to have home offices I would have purchased a home with the extra room to set up an office. The only solution is for me to fix the problem by moving to a larger home, building an addition on to my home, or asking one of my children to move out so I can convert their bedroom to an office. With my current setup (and many other staff, as well), ergonomics is not going to solve a bigger problem. If I ever have an appropriate work/office space for a desk and computer, I will then worry about appropriate ergonomics.
This issue was raised early in the pandemic by frontline supervisors from what my boss told me, and raised at various meetings but didn't seem to go anywhere with AU until the holidays. $1000 isn't enough and doesn't go far enough (after taxes) and with the availability of some items scarce and prices seemingly going up as everyone is still trying to equip home offices. Why do profs received double this amount when my home office needs are the same, if not greater due to the processing work I do? Now I'm expected to buy a cell phone case and screen protector for my AU phone out of this money as well (when this stuff should have been issued with the phones)....
A one-time payment of 1K helps, but my variable height desk was close to that, my chair was more than that, and other accommodations also added to the office cost. In my opinion, too much of the ergonomic financial burden falls on the employee. Anyone working at AU over an extended period of time is faced with the decision of upgrading their workspace at their own expense or with settling for a workplace that is progressively less safe. Given that the employer has substantial savings over maintaining offices for staff annually, I think a better office infrastructure stipend should be considered.
These responses suggest there are significant flaws or gaps in AU’s current processes for providing ergonomic support to employees. Concerns or negative perceptions about the process negatively affects workers’ willingness to engage in it, which could lead to increases in injuries as issues are left unresolved.
Satisfaction with medical accommodations
Finally, we asked about experiences seeking medical accommodations. The number of responses on this question was far lower, but a one-star rating was the most common at nearly 39% percent.
The comments indicate that similar issues are present with seeking medical accommodations as noted above in relation to broader ergonomic supports. Here are a sample of the comments:
AU's support has been poor. My medical note from my doctor stating my need for a sit-stand desk was dismissed by HR.
It was several months from first submission of my ergonomic request until my assessments were conducted. First assessment was by an inexperienced assessor, 2nd assessment by an experienced assessor. Once dr. form and medical accommodation was established, next interaction took some time for AU HR Ergonomics lead to contact me (no responses to emails sent to ergonomics email queue). Once AU HR Ergonomics responded, AU Ergonomics lead required recompletion of a new ergonomic form to self-assess me in my home. However, the past ergonomic assessments already indicated what was required - felt like I was going backwards and having to repeat completing forms and describing my requirements/medical accommodation. Lastly, when the meeting was held by AU Ergonomics lead to discuss next steps, it seemed that prior ergonomic assessments and recommendations made were not reviewed - again, felt like I was going backwards to restate what had already been decided by AU's ergonomic assessor some time ago.
I was medically supposed to have a stand up desk and had it at the office, but now the process has stalled. I would really like it here but I am unsure what is happening. Secondly, it seems unfair when some already have the perfect set up at home and I am supposed to use that money for a desk that will be nearly all of that $1000 and they don't. Maybe it's just me.
pre-COVID; I requested ergonomic assessment due to concerns on a repetitive strain injury and the delays were ridiculous. I was informed that if I needed a certain chair, I would be waiting months to a year to get that chair. Because injuries of this nature do not resolve on their own, nor will they wait for the proper ergonomic equipment to be available, I simply purchased the appropriate equipment needed to reduce further injury.
When I needed to obtain ergonomic support and contacted AU about it, I was given a very long form to fill in and I was instructed to provide 80 hours of videos showing me while working in my current set up! The whole process seemed to have been designed to incriminate the professor (e.g. bad posture) rather than providing ergonomic support. Besides, I had more important things to do than learning how to become a movie director and produce that movie as I had to catch up with [personal details redacted]. Finally, the process was presented to me as it was going to take months to a year before the problem is addressed. My neck and lower back could not wait that long. I therefore used my savings and purchased an ergonomic chair myself to deal with the emergency, at least partly as I still do not have a proper desk.
Recommendations
AUFA’s executive has provided this information to Human Resources. AUFA has made some general recommendations to HR based upon these results:
AU should improve the processes for supporting employees in setting up and maintaining ergonomic work stations in their home offices. These processes should be proactive and supportive, not potentially punitive or stressful.
AU should streamline the ways in which employees can purchase or acquire ergonomic equipment for their home offices. The funding framework should be clear and designed to address inequities.
AU should ensure that ergonomics and wellness supports are sufficiently resourced and carried out by qualified, responsive professionals.
AUFA is hopeful that AU will listen to and act upon these concerns about the current processes and supports, and move toward providing exemplary, rather than merely adequate, support for staff in home offices.
Rhiannon Rutherford and Bob Barnetson
AUFA OHS Representatives
Main Campus Joint Health and Safety Committee