How Workplace Conditions Contribute to Chronic Pain and Mental Health Issues
/By Pat Anson
If you are of a certain age – like me – you’ll remember when computers started entering the workplace in the 1980’s. There was a huge learning curve, but eventually work became faster and more efficient.
There was also a tradeoff: employees reported back and neck pain from sitting at keyboards all day, and carpal tunnel syndrome became a thing. Companies learned about the hazards of repetitive motion, and how chair height, limited desk space and poorly shaped computer mouses affected worker health, absenteeism and productivity. A new industry was born: ergonomics.
Flash forward 40 years and companies are now being urged to think about “emotional ergonomics” – how workplace stress contributes to anxiety, depression, burnout, and chronic pain.
“Physical pain is often a symptom of deeper, underlying stressors—from job pressures to mental health challenges. Addressing industrial ergonomics without considering emotional well-being is an incomplete strategy. The most forward-thinking companies recognize that true injury prevention must integrate both,” says Kevin Lombardo, CEO of the DORN Companies.
DORN has partnered with organizations that specialize in ergonomics, business psychology, and suicide prevention on a new white paper called “Emotional Ergonomics: How the Intersection of Industrial Ergonomics, Pain, and Mental Health Shapes Worker Wellbeing.”
The paper’s main findings are that workplace conditions deeply affect the physical and mental health of workers, and that organizations must address them together to have a healthy, high-performing workforce. Workplace stress affects 40% of employees in the United States and contributes to about $190 billion in added healthcare costs.
Unlike the 1980’s, when most jobs entailed a 40-hour work week and were performed outside the home, today’s knowledge-driven economy blurs the lines between professional and personal lives. Employees may get work-related emails or texts at all hours of the day and night, and a growing number work from home. This increases exposure to stress, cognitive demands, poor sleep habits, and the psychosocial risks that come with juggling work, family and personal time.
A recent study found that stress and anxiety have become the most common work-related injuries, accounting for over half (52%) of new cases. That trend is mirrored in Google searches for “burnout,” which have risen dramatically in the last 10 years.
“This research signals a necessary shift in how we approach workplace well-being. Emotional Ergonomics bridges the gap between physical safety and mental resilience, ensuring that employee health is not just a compliance checkbox but a business imperative. Organizations that fail to recognize this connection risk long-term workforce instability and financial strain,” says Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas, President of United Suicide Survivors International.
Common psychosocial hazards in the workplace include:
Excessive workload and time pressures
Toxic relationships between coworkers and supervisors
Hazing, bullying, harassment and discrimination
Exposure to workplace accidents and trauma
Low autonomy and limited decision-making
Job insecurity
Work-Life disruption
To address these issues, companies can adjust workloads and allow for more flexible scheduling; adopt health and wellness programs; train supervisors in empathetic communication skills; and allow for “quiet time” and space where workers can decompress from job strain.
The goal is to view workers not as cogs in a machine, but as individuals with different physical, emotional, and psychological needs. An “I’ve got your back” mentality in the workplace builds trust and helps employees feel valued.
To learn more about the study findings and ways to build emotional ergonomics, you can sign up to watch a live webinar on Wednesday, May 21.
