Healthy and safe telework

Course information

Course overview: Telework, the practice of working remotely using informational technology (IT), has an important and growing role in the workplace and has a significant impact on the health, safety, and wellbeing of workers. Telework settings often do not meet the same occupational safety and health (OSH) standards as those available at traditional worksites. Telework, when organized and carried out properly, can be beneficial for physical and mental health and social wellbeing. Protecting and promoting health and wellbeing in teleworking requires a complex of measures to provide a healthy, safe and comfortable work environment, work organization and new culture and ways of working.

For more information on how to plan for and conduct healthy and safe telework, please refer to the WHO/ILO technical brief. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240040977"

Course duration: Approximately 1 hour.

Certificates: A Record of Achievement certificate will be available to participants who score at least 80% of the total points available across all of the quizzes. Participants who receive a Record of Achievement can also download an Open Badge for this course. Click here to learn how.

What you'll learn

• Explain the impacts of teleworking on physical and mental health and social wellbeing of workers and their families
• Improve your telework environment to promote health and wellbeing while working
• Describe how employers and workers organize and carry out teleworking in a healthy and safe way
• List the roles and responsibilities of employers in protecting workers’ health and safety and providing a supportive environment for teleworking
• List the roles and responsibilities of workers and their representatives for protecting and promoting health and safety while teleworking

Course contents

• Introduction:

  This introductory module describes what is known on the impact telework has on worker health and wellbeing.

• Module 1: Designing and implementing program for healthy and safe telework:

  By the end of this module, you should be able to: describe the employers responsibility to provide decent and healthy telework; list the key components and considerations of designing a healthy telework program; implement program interventions to promote health while teleworking.

• Module 2: Preventing physical and ergonomic hazards:

  By the end of this module, you should be able to: describe the physical and ergonomic hazards that arise during telework; understand when and how to consult an ergonomist to conduct an ergonomic assessment; adapt the teleworking environment to prevent musculoskeletal strain; integrate stretching and breaks into telework routine.

• Module 3: Promoting emotional and psychosocial wellbeing while teleworking:

  By the end of this module, you should be able to: describe the impact telework has on emotional health and psychosocial wellbeing; identify ways to minimize social isolation and increase social connection; promote wellbeing through physical activity and social connection while teleworking.

• Module 4: Promoting healthy behaviours while teleworking:

  By the end of this module, you should be able to: understand the association between telework and healthy behaviours (diet, exercise, sleep, alcohol and tobacco consumption); integrate strategies to increase physical activity, improve diet, eliminate tobacco consumption, and ensure adequate sleep for teleworkers.