Contact center work is stressful and can be dangerous to your health. Here are the top seven illnesses found in contact centers and how you can avoid them:
Experts at HealthMad found these ailments abound in call centers.
- High blood pressure. Stress, smoking and unhealthy eating and exercise habits contribute to hypertension. Tip: Join friends to vent, walk and grab an apple during breaks. It’s better than bottling up anxiety, smoking and eating excessive chocolate.
- Respiratory problems. Because so many people move through contact centers, they’re often breeding grounds for communicable diseases (such as flu and pneumonia) that cause breathing issues. Tip: Clean hands and communal surfaces often.
- Anemia. Studies show that working overnight shifts, which are common in contact centers, can interfere with blood production. So overnight workers end up with iron deficiencies. Tip: Fill up on iron-rich foods such as broccoli, lean meats and beans.
- Ear infection/acoustic shock. Ear problems can come from too much background noise, sudden loud noises and constant loud voices on the phone. Tip: Try sound-absorbing walls in your contact center. Equip agents with volume controls on their phones.
- Voice loss. Too much talking can lead to vocal cord strain. It’s better to listen more than talk anyway. Tip: Give agent’s regular breaks and time off the phone to do back-office work. Drink often when talking to customers to keep vocal cords lubricated.
- Ulcer. Because it’s demanding work, agents often don’t take proper breaks and slow down, leading to ulcers. Tip: Make sure agents take breaks away from their desks and encourage them to do relaxing things. Also insist they use their vacation time.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome. Excess typing and texting lead to carpal tunnel problems. Tip: Take frequent breaks from typing and click here for exercises to prevent carpal tunnel issues.
