While some jobs in Minnesota involve greater risk than others due to the physical demands involved, we at Lindberg Law recognize that workplace injuries can happen anywhere, in all types of workplaces. Even those who perform sedentary desk jobs are not immune; the injuries associated with them may be different yet still have the potential to prevent you from performing your job duties effectively.
If you do become injured at your desk job, you have the same rights as every other employee to seek workers’ compensation. However, according to Monster.com, there are steps you can take to prevent office injuries from occurring in the first place.
Many office workers nowadays use laptop computers rather than desktop models. While laptops offer advantages of mobility, they also present ergonomic challenges because you must reach for the keyboard and lean too far forward. You can correct these issues by using an external mouse and keyboard that usually plug into the USB ports on your computer. You should never have to stretch out far or angle your hands in order to reach the keyboard or the mouse.
If your computer monitor’s position is either too high or too low, it may lead to neck strain. You should not have to bend your neck to look either up or down at the screen. Try to position it so that your gaze falls naturally on the middle of the display.
If possible, you should take about five minutes every hour to take a short break, get up and move around a little. If your employer frowns on this, you can take micro-breaks of 10 seconds every 15 minutes to rest your hands and eyes.
People who work desk jobs are likely to develop repetitive strain injuries of the eyes, neck, shoulders and wrists. More information about workplace injuries is available on our website.