More action urged on remote work health risks

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Employers and the government need to do more to address the health and wellbeing risks related to remote working, and should target support at individuals who are the most at risk of mental and physical health problems.
This is according to the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (Iosh) which has praised new recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) as “setting the standard for making remote work sustainable”.
The technical brief on healthy and safe teleworking, which was published earlier this month, outlines the health benefits and risks of remote working, which can include improved work-life balance and flexible working, but also a higher likelihood of staff developing burnout, depression, eye strain and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
The WHO and ILO report also highlights several negative behavioural effects from increased homeworking, including an increase in smoking and alcohol consumption, prolonged sitting and screen time, and unhealthy weight gain.
“In the nearly two years since the start of the pandemic, it’s become very clear that teleworking can easily bring health benefits and it can also have a dire impact,” said Dr Maria Neira, director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, at the WHO.
“Which way the pendulum swings depends entirely on whether governments, employers and workers work together and whether there are agile and inventive occupational health services to put in place policies and practices that benefit both workers and the work.”
Vera Paquete-Perdigão, director of the ILO’s Governance and Tripartism Department, said employers now have the opportunity to embed new supportive policies, practices and norms “to ensure millions of teleworkers have healthy, happy, productive and decent work”.