The bearings of workspace design on employee health

Abstract

At present computer workstations have become crucially essential to most occupations, and employees spend ample time using them. Hence, health issues emerging from their design and use must be properly examined, and the gaps due to the dearth of sufficient knowledge on how they affect employee health through the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) must be filled. Hence, the purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of workspace design as well as the control effects of work posture on the health of employees, captured as the tendency of MSDs. A positivist research approach was adopted for this study, and data were collected from respondents in the finance, insurance and education industries within the Greater Accra Region using a 5-point Likert scale close-ended questionnaire. The data garnered were evaluated with bivariate correlation and regression analysis, facilitated by the statistical package for the social sciences software, and discussed. The study found that workstation layout (specifically leg comfort) and feet support or sitting posture statistically significantly (p = 0.001) predict employee health. The findings of the study would be used primarily within the context of the particular industries studied. However, the verdicts may be generalized to add on to literature, since theoretical and empirical findings are equally relevant universally. It is envisioned that the yields of this study would inform strategic decisions regarding workspace designs by firms to create and maintain remarkable levels of health amongst employees and help reduce the frequency of work-related MSDs.