Remote work has seen a dramatic rise in the past several years. Many employees find that their quality of life has greatly improved since working from home. But just because people are in the safety of their own homes doesn’t mean they’re safe from work-related injuries.
There are common remote work injuries people experience every day, but few people talk about their injuries. Many of these injuries are similar to ones seen in office jobs. These injuries can be costly and make it harder to complete work. Here’s what you should know:
1, Eyestrain
Nearly everyone that works at home uses a computer or stares at a screen of some kind. Some people only spend a few minutes a day looking at their screen, while others spend hours. If you’re part of the latter group, then you may be putting excessive strain on your eyes.
Eyestrain can lead to many serious medical conditions: migraines, dizziness and dry eyes. Eyestrain may prevent you from focusing and make it harder for you to live your life.
2. Spine pain
Most remote jobs require people to sit down for several hours a day. Having a nice comfy chair that conforms to your posture can be world-changing, but humans didn’t evolve to stand just to sit down all the time. Without the right exercise and movement, you may be putting too much pressure on your neck and back or even straining your spinal discs and ligaments.
If you feel constant discomfort or have trouble standing up, then you may be experiencing neck and back pain. Unchecked spine issues can make it harder to move around, bend over and sit down.
3. Overworking
Whether it’s because of growing rent and food prices or because your employer asked you for extra work, you could be overworking yourself. Overworking can lead to burnout and exhaustion. This may make you feel overly tired, cause mood swings and may even result in eating disorders.
Work-related injuries can happen anywhere, even at home. The good news is that, in Illinois, home worker injuries are generally covered by workers’ compensation even though they did not occur on your employer’s premises. You will need to show that the injury occurred during the course of, or was reasonably related to, your ordinary work duties.
