Call Center Stress

Call-Center Job : Highly Stressful

Introduction :

Call center jobs are the recent entity in modern occupation. Call-Center operations have a dual function of handling of handset of a telephone and a computer system on a tabletop, they keep answering to telephone calls while entering / modifying data in computer. Their jobs involve working in various shifts duty hours, hence they undergo biorhythm disturbances. They suffer backaches because of prolonged sitting in wrong postures; suffer from neck pain, eyestrain due to poor Eye-Monitor ergonomics and wrong posture of the neck due to tucking of telephone between the neck and the shoulder. They suffer from stress due to job deadlines and other factors. Our recent study is the one of the first studies conducted on call center operators, revealed clearly the problems faced by these professionals.
Study :

Hundred Call Center Workers were surveyed. They reported for the presence of various problems increasingly backache. These young professionals (20-30 yrs.) of both sexes working 8-9 hours a day in three shifts for the last 2-3 years in the similar job. The occupational health questionnaire, physical examination and observation on the spot for ergonomic evaluation of work-stations, and their posture during their work were noted. The result of the study revealed that these people are at the double the risk of developing Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) when compared to software professionals. Their problems were described as under.

Backaches in Call Center Operators :

Our visits to their workstations have shown many ergonomic and postural problems. Tall people (>170 cms) suffered the most (62%). Large number of them are unaware of their table heights, Eye-Monitor distances, lack / presence of foot-rest, lack of correct back support, and poor fitness and eating habits added to the worst situation. Prolonged sitting for long hours with the above ergonomics faults ultimately results in postural backache.
Prolonged sitting causes stagnation of blood in large muscles of trunk and lower limbs. Lack of circulation in the large muscle groups leads to physical fatigue, without doing any physical work at the end of the day. Fixed wrong postures also demand sustained contraction of certain muscles lead to painful spasm of back muscles. Backrest angle was more than 1200 and not ergonomically suitable for healthy back. When individuals move away from backrest and in the absence of footrest, the weight of the lower limbs (60% of the body weight) puts abnormal strain on lower back; to achieve this many back muscles remain in isometric contraction resulting in pain. Fit people suffered the least.

Neck Pain and Eye Strain :

The common problem (34%) in these professionals after backache is the neck-pain and the eye-strain, as a result of holding the handset between the neck and shoulder. These people also handle computers modifying data simultaneously can lead to Forward Head Posture (FHP) that ultimately leads to Straight Spine Syndrome (SSS), and suffer from painful conditions of the neck. Improper use of keyboards, mouse position, tack balls pose more risk for developing Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) similar to that of software professionals.

Bio-Rhythm Disturbances :

Frequent change of sleeping hours and working on high intense job like Call-Center work can cause severe stress. They end up sleeping incompletely due to disturbance in the rhythm of sleep pattern. Every human needs 4-6 cycles of sleep. Duration of each cycle may vary from 30 min. – 90 min. Missed sleeping hours get accumulated and ultimately person try to complete later, otherwise it results in headache, eye strain, irritability and lethargic feeling, Bio-Rhythm disturbances can greatly reduce the work performance, but given right kind of time planning, body can adapt to these changes Urban life rarely permits people to set this pattern.

Life Style Factors :

Large number (86%) of Call-Center operators do not indulge in regular physical exercise adequate enough to protect from disease. Many convey their inability to plan exercise routine and lack of motivation and interest (common to all Indians). Many professionals have excess body fats and have disturbed eating habits like no breakfast (90%), missing of major meals and eating from out side. Improper lifestyle factors with dependencies like alcohol consumption, smoking, etc., add to their stress.

Social Factors :

Many complain that they often miss their social evenings because of night shifts, which could have served them as an outlet of stress. Participation in recreation and picnics has come down drastically in urban life. Poor social participation adds to already building up of work and environmental stress.

The right answer :

It is evident this new profession has many problems and they are at double the risk of any other office professional. The concentration at which they work handling two machines and many voices at a time render them inevitable for tremendous stress. They could be the candidates for Hypertension and other stress related disease in future. The Back and Neck are highly vulnerable for future disc disease apart from frequent suffering. The attitude of the call-center operator needs a serious view for preventive outlook from the beginning. Regular exercise for better circulation, tendon stretching, and flexibility are vital for back and neck. Desk bound stretching in the office and relaxation in a silent room are of great help. RSI prevention exercises are a must for every call-center professional. Ergonomic corrections and use of light headphones and frequent gaps after long hours may be very helpful. Good diet with regular timing is a must to avoid diet stress and accumulation of excess body fat. If you want to last longer, you need to be fitter.