Scientists from the field of occupational medicine from Łódź indicate that hybrid work has the worst impact on employees. Their research has shown that such a mode is often associated with circadian rhythm disorders, which affects the quality of sleep. Remote work, in turn, has mainly affected the hours of falling asleep and waking up.
Sleep disorders, muscle and joint pain – these are not symptoms of the disease, but possible consequences of remote work. The Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Hazards at the Institute of Occupational Medicine named after prof. Jerzy Nofer in Łódź conducted research on over 1,300 people divided into three groups. Each of them worked in a different way – stationary, remote and hybrid. Then, the participants were waiting for an online survey.
– We also asked about sleep, but also about the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders, and the ergonomics of these newly created positions – informs Dr. Magdalena Janc from the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Hazards at the Institute of Occupational Medicine named after prof. Jerzy Nofer in Łódź.
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The results of the study indicated that the group most exposed to various ailments was the group working hybridly, i.e. partly from home and partly from the previous workplace. – First of all, there was a very high correlation between non-ergonomic workstations, which correlated with a high rate of diseases or symptoms of the musculoskeletal system, and these sleep disorders – says Dr. Magdalena Janc.
Remote work mainly affected the hours of falling asleep and waking up. Hybrid work, on the other hand, changed the circadian rhythm of the respondents, which affected the quality of sleep, and this – in the case of staring at a screen all day – is very important.
– However, try to impose a rhythm, i.e. a fixed time of getting up and remember that if we take care of the right amount of sleep, we feel better, work faster, rest better, are more effective. Taking care of at least seven hours of sleep at similar hours at night is the best treatment for us – advises Dr. Małgorzata Fornal-Pawłowska from the Insomnia Therapy Office.
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Back pain and remote work
An employee who decides to work remotely must assure the employer that their home workstation is appropriately adapted. The key word here is ergonomics. – At the stage of agreeing on remote work, submitting an application by the employee, the burden of making this assessment rests with the employee: yes, my workplace is suitable for remote work – says attorney Karolina Kołakowska, partner at Narolski i Partnerzy. Adwokaci.
Research by scientists from Łódź has primarily indicated the occurrence of ailments in the cervical spine. To avoid such changes when working from home, we should pay special attention to physical activity during the day and after work. – We recommend, as physiotherapists, to try to change position every 20 minutes: stand up, make a circle around the desk, squat – indicates Adam Markiewicz, physiotherapist.
Remote and hybrid work on a large scale have been with us since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many companies have abandoned this form of work, which is often met with dissatisfaction.
– Many people in a situation where there is to be a transition from remote work to stationary work will simply react with resistance – says Karolina Wincewicz-Cichecka, psychologist and psychotherapist from the Occupational Psychology and Burnout Clinic of the Dialog Therapy Center.
The Polish Economic Institute conducted a study in December last year on a sample of 1,000 Polish companies. It showed that as many as 33 percent of companies had introduced remote or hybrid work. In turn, 41 percent did not allow this form of work at all.
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