This PPT focuses on home-based telework and why it should be part of every employer’s risk assessment process. It also brings up how employers should establish a telework policy that includes provisions on occupational risk assessment, ergonomic equipment, working hours and expected results.

This PPT focuses on home-based telework and why it should be part of every employer’s risk assessment process. It also describes the main work-related MSD risk factors associated with telework and provides preventive measures to address them.

Home-based working has some advantages, such as saving time on the office commute. However, it is also associated with an increase in prolonged sitting, social isolation from colleagues and difficulty in disconnecting. This info sheet explains why this can have a negative impact on teleworkers’ health and contribute to the development or exacerbation of MSDs. 

There is strong evidence that psychosocial and organisational factors raise the risk of MSDs, especially when combined with physical risks. This discussion paper gives an overview of the prevalence of MSDs in Europe and looks at the case of Italy, where a growing phenomenon of MSDs in the workplace has been recorded.