Is There a Cost-Benefit to Providing Employees With a Work From Home Office Set-up Allowance?
Yesterday, I came across a NY Times Article published in September 2020 stating that 92% of Chiropractors surveyed reported a surge in reported neck, back and wrist pain along with other musculoskeletal issues among work-from-home (WFH) employees. What concerns me is that the survey was conducted in April, when people had only been working from home for a couple of months.
Workers’ compensation insurers and benefits brokers are also reporting a higher volume of requests from clients for ergonomic solutions and interventions for employees that are still working from home.
Some employers are questioning the cost/benefit of providing an allowance for a home office setup.
From a legal perspective, these allowances would be considered a “convenience for the employee” (Norton Rose Fulbright) and therefore are not mandatory.*
However, you will need to provide an allowance (known as an accommodation or intervention) for an employee who reports any type of neck, back or wrist pain or other musculoskeletal issues, even if they occurred while working from home. (Hartford Insurance)
If an ergonomic intervention is necessary, the equipment purchased to accommodate the employee is vetted out by either HR or your insurer. If you choose to provide an employee allowance for their home office setup, your organization should take the same approach and vet out the approved products for purchase to create a successful program.
*Nota bene: the article went on to state that essential items such as phone and internet service, a personal computing device and necessary software and hardware to perform their job may require reimbursement, as employees are being “forced” to work from home due to the Pandemic and therefore these expenses are now considered reimbursable in certain states. I would encourage you to check with your local laws as to what your requirements are as this may be something that must be provided at a minimum.
As my law professor in business school had stressed when presenting an argument, the correct answer is – IT DEPENDS. (More on this later.)
The immediate questions that need to be answered for your organization are –
While the answer to these questions may still be unresolved for your organization, there is one scenario that is becoming clearer –
For example, a September 2020 article in Fortune discussed how JP Morgan has observed that their employees’ productivity working from home during the pandemic has decreased — particularly on Mondays and Fridays. They further believe –
These are compelling statements, and, while JP Morgan wants to bring their staff back to their offices, they can only bring employees back up to a 50% building capacity.
If your employees are still working from home or, like JP Morgan, your employees will be working from home at least part time going forward, you need to take care of this group of workers.
As the above NY Times article stated, employees can only work on their couches, beds or kitchen counters for a limited time before exhibiting symptoms which will wind up costing you more in the long run if left untreated.
From an ergonomic perspective, if your employees are like most people working from home and are using a laptop, there are some simple low-cost solutions that will generate immediate results –
There are other affordable options on the market for under $500.00 that would provide an almost immediate return on investment from a cost/benefit and ergonomic perspective.
In most circumstances, a worker will derive greater benefit from a height-adjustable desk as opposed to an office chair. There are three reasons for this –
But here is where “IT DEPENDS” comes into play as the answer depends on the specifics of your organization –
The most important part to remember is that
One of the easiest places I’ve found to set up a program like this is through Summit Ergonomics. They have the ability to set up a company store with vetted products in 24 hours from which employees can order directly. I specifically like their WFH Desk, a height-adjustable desk that starts at $325.00.
Another option is Design Public Group. They have a much larger selection of products.
Written by: Mike Kind, CEO MyKind Advisors.
Mike has been an active investor and CEO of both manufacturing and technology companies in the Office Ergonomics space for over a decade.
He can be reached at mike@mykindadvisors.com
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