Working from Home and Ergonomics

A worker working at a desk with a pad and pen.

Many of us are working from home these days at workstations that are not ergonomically sound. This means your workstation isn’t fitting your body correctly and could be exposing you to ergonomic risk factors that could cause musculoskeletal injury (MSI).

Ergonomic risk factors include prolonged repetition and awkward postures of wrists, hands, elbows, etc.

The WCB’s (WorkSafeBC) position is that the employer is not required to provide ergonomic equipment to workers at home, so you must do all that you can to protect yourself from MSI. This guideline, developed by an expert in ergonomics and kinesiology, will help you do this.

If you start to develop pain, numbness, tingling, or other symptoms of MSI while working from home, you should make adjustments to your workstation and you must report this to your employer and OH&S Committee worker representative. Early documentation of these types of problems is important in case your symptoms develop into injury. It’s also important to see your doctor if problems persist.

If you develop an injury and are unable to work because of it, you should file a claim with the WCB. If the WCB denies your claim (which they tend to do), please get in touch with Niki Schnurr before 90 days from the date of the denial to file an appeal.

If you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact Barb Gibson, Workers Compensation Appeals Representative, at bgibson@moveuptogether.ca.