If you are a member of the growing workforce of remote office employees, you may find yourself developing symptoms of a potential medical condition. Although many employers design their onsite office workspaces with ergonomics in mind, an at-home office may not reflect the same type of attention to work-related health issues.
As an employee who develops a job-related medical condition, you may file a workers’ comp claim even if you are working from a home office. As noted by Fast Company magazine, two common office-related health issues are eyestrain and musculoskeletal conditions.
Eye strain symptoms may signal a developing problem
Although most eye injuries occur at a factory or manufacturing plant, working in front of a PC or laptop screen at home for long periods of time may carry its own risks of vision-related issues. Sore or itching eyes, headaches and blurred vision may all reflect signs of digital eyestrain.
The way in which you view your laptop, mobile device or computer screen may affect your eyesight. If you begin to feel strain or pressure around your eyes, it may help to change the position or height of your screen.
Back, neck and wrist pain may become chronic conditions
As noted by Time magazine, remote workers in home offices may develop painful and chronic musculoskeletal conditions such as lower back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome or, in some cases, a deep vein thrombosis. A DVT is a blood clot that may form over time when sitting in the same position for long periods of time.
A serious medical issue that develops from performing your job at home may require workers’ compensation for treatment. Georgia’s labor laws require an employer to pay for an injured remote employee’s medical expenses, which may include surgery, prescriptions or corrective lenses.