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Understanding Yukon’s Employment Standards Act
Understanding Yukon’s Employment Standards Act
- Employment Standards
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Supriya Sharma, HR content writer
(Last updated )
Supriya Sharma, HR content writer
(Last updated )
According to Labour Force Survey data published by Statistics Canada, almost three quarters of the 3.4 million Canadians who switched to remote work due to the COVID-19 crisis were still working from home in August.
Till this health crisis ends, most businesses that can operate remotely will be asking their staff to continue working from home.
A well-planned home office is important for the safety and wellbeing of your remote employees. Under the Occupational Health and Safety legislation, it is the employer’s general duty to take all reasonable precautions for the health and safety of employees.
This applies to remote workers as well. You have an obligation to ensure the home office set up of your employees is safe. Especially since they may be working from home for the foreseeable future.
You can read our blog on good practices to follow to ensure safety of your remote staff here.
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety defines ergonomics as the science of “fitting the job to the worker”. Ergonomics incorporates designing work spaces, processes, equipment and tools that fit the employee.
An ergonomically designed workspace can reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. It is important that employees are aware of how they should adjust their workstations for their individual needs.
Wrong postures due to poor quality equipment or badly adjusted workstations can cause muscle strain and aches. These can develop into serious injuries in the long term.
You should advise your staff on the significance of ergonomics in the home work space. You may want to include it in your remote work policy. Your policy should also specify who will be responsible for purchasing and maintaining equipment such as the desk, chair, office supplies, etc.
Here are some tips to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries while working from home:
Ensure the desk is not too high (for eg a tall kitchen table). It should be strong enough to bear the weight of any equipment placed on it.
It is harder to adjust laptops to maintain good postures while working. One could use separate components, such as an external keyboard and mouse. These can be adjusted independently.
If separate components are not available, adjust the laptop according to the task. For instance, while reading raise the screen to eye level to avoid straining the neck. While typing, make sure the elbows are aligned with the keyboard surface. The wrists should be straight, arms by the sides with elbows at a right angle.
Do not cradle the phone between the neck and shoulder. Use a speaker phone or phone headset if the work requires frequent phone use.
Avoid sitting at the workstation or with the laptop for a long stretch of time. Make it a point to take several short breaks through the day. Do other tasks that don’t involve a computer. This will help change postures and give rest to muscles and eyes. Sedentary workers must include exercise in their daily routine.
Let our experienced HR professionals create a remote work policy suited to your business. For HR and health & safety advice during the pandemic, call an expert today: 1 (833) 247-3652
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