June 2000

BY STEVEN D. RUDNIK, MAGNITUDE INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INC.

Every new call center worth its salt should be designed with ergonomic considerations in mind. But what about existing call centers? Must they undergo an expensive redesign and be rebuilt from the ground up to meet current ergonomics standards? No, experts say. Instead, call center managers can perform an "ergonomics makeover," an easier solution that can achieve most of the benefits of a full redesign at a fraction of the cost.

"It often happens that call centers haven't been planned to be ergonomic from the start," said David Meermans, systems manager at Intecom in Addison, Texas. "Over time, the work evolves, so almost every call center can benefit from a second look."

Bob Stimson, president of interior architect firm Stimson Design Group in Houston, agrees. "Call centers, especially older ones, can benefit from an ergonomics makeover a good deal of the time."

What is ergonomics and why is it important in the call center? Ergonomics is the science of fitting the job to the worker. No one would disagree with its ultimate goals, which are to make work more comfortable and improve worker health and productivity.

"To me, ergonomics is about ease of use," said Laura Sikorski, managing director at Sikorski, Tuerpe and Associates, a call center consulting firm in Centerport, New York. "An ergonomics makeover must address not just workstations or wrist rests, but the entire call center."

According to 3M, a comprehensive ergonomics approach should consider three aspects of work: the physical, the environmental and the emotional. The physical covers achieving a good fit between workers and their workstations, as well as ensuring that tasks are varied throughout the day to avoid fatigue. The environmental covers lighting, air, temperature and other key aspects of the workplace. The emotional relates more to feelings of well-being -- for instance, occasional breaks, taken throughout the day in conjunction with stretching exercises, can help restore energy.

Ergonomics Makes Business Sense
Aside from a sense of "doing the right thing," call center managers can achieve important bottom-line benefits from an ergonomics makeover. Agents are the lifeblood of every call center, and savvy managers do everything in their power to maintain a competitive workforce. Creating an easy-to-use environment boosts morale, helping to reduce costly turnover and attract quality staff. Then there is the issue of agent efficiency and productivity -- positive ergonomics helps agents get more work done. It can also reduce absenteeism and expensive worker's compensation claims.

Worker's compensation brings up another incentive for an ergonomics makeover. It can reduce the disturbing rise in claims for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive motion injuries. MSDs are the most expensive workplace injuries, accounting for $1 of every $3 spent on worker's compensation. Carpal tunnel syndrome, common among workers who perform repetitive tasks at keyboards, for example, results in more days away from work than any other workplace injury -- a median of 25 days.

The prevalence of such injuries is leading the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to try to establish a new national ergonomics regulation to be implemented by year's end. It is documented that heavy use of computers can cause injuries, and proper training, proper exercise and proper workstation use can prevent injuries. If it is proved the employer was aware of an ergonomic problem and did nothing about it, the company could be guilty of what is called a "serious" violation, and the monetary penalties in this type of situation are significant. Isn't it better to establish a systematic program now, before being subject to regulation?

Beginning The Makeover
When beginning your ergonomics makeover, a good place to start is with the employees themselves -- ask for suggestions on ways to improve the environment, workspace and work processes. "Many people forget to ask the staff, but you're going to get the most bang for your buck when the staff has a role in developing the makeover," said Laura Sikorski. "They may complain about air quality, ventilation, cramped workspace, headaches, backaches, too much light, insufficient light or uncomfortable temperatures. But what they really need is the chance to concentrate, a certain degree of privacy, easy access to job tools without standing up or reaching, the ability to adjust their work space and proximity to other work areas such as training or break rooms." Naturally, any rise in worker's compensation claims and absenteeism will be a strong tip-off of key areas to address.

For the makeover, Sikorski suggests simple measures to improve the environment, such as changing direct lighting to indirect lighting to reduce glare, replacing painted walls with fabric that absorbs sound, adding trees and plants to improve the ambiance and air quality and installing "pink noise" generators to give a sense of a lower overall noise level. "Also watch out for sick building syndrome," she said. "Sometimes air filters are seldom changed, or companies cut off air conditioning over the weekend, allowing germs to flow back in."

Regarding MSDs such as carpal tunnel syndrome, OSHA reports these can be prevented when companies implement an ergonomics program. Suggested ergonomic "interventions" include working surfaces that are adjustable to reduce long reaches and awkward postures; putting work supplies and equipment within comfortable reach; encouraging short, authorized work breaks and exercise; and providing adjustable, ergonomic chairs. In the call center it's the hands, eyes and backside that really do the work. Remedies include buying the best chairs you can afford and teaching the staff how to use them. Purchase high-quality monitors with sharp displays that don't flicker and supply keyboard trays to support the workers' wrists at the correct angle.

Good ergonomics means more than putting in some new equipment, however. Experts say that a makeover won't succeed unless it is part of an ongoing program that includes management leadership and training. "You can have the most ergonomically correct chairs and workstations, but if they are not integrated into a program, they are completely useless," said John Duncan. "Employees need to be trained in how to use them and be reminded regularly to take breaks and do some stretching. An ergonomics program is a continuous effort."

Ergonomics Management Software
What is the best way to implement a comprehensive ergonomics program? One promising solution is ergonomics management software. A solution that runs on each user's desktop, in Windows or over the company Intranet, the software can offer an ergonomics resource for call center agents and supervisors. Features should include graphical training in proper posture and workstation setup, as well as short quizzes that help agents rate their own posture and setup. The software can also prompt agents to take regular micro-breaks that reduce fatigue and improve productivity. Additionally, these types of software reinforce good ergonomics principles every day, in contrast to the one-shot training session or consultant whose message quickly fades.

Working in the background on every agent's computer, the software electronically gathers baseline data about employee keyboard and mouse usage, such as number of keystrokes and percentage of errors. This can be a great aid to supervisors looking to understand the relation between ergonomics and agent productivity. The data can be imported into numerous management reports, helping supervisors analyze how to help each agent improve his or her job performance. For example, a supervisor can encourage a call center employee to take a typing course if keyboard errors are high. This type of software can also be used to assess the effectiveness of an ergonomics makeover. By analyzing "before and after" results among a small group of agents, supervisors can learn the impact of planned changes on call center agents.

Steven D. Rudnik is president and CEO of Magnitude Information Systems, Inc.