Jun
7
As Cebu-Philippines have overtaken India as a BPO destination for voice services, Cebu’s competitive edge must be strengthen by improving on the health and wellness situation of the industry’s workers.
The health concerns of the Philippines BPO industry are unique. These concerns must be addressed to its source.
If a call center agent suffers from migraine, a pain relief prescription will not solve the problem. Why migraines are common in call center workers must be answered and resolved as there could be factors, other than job-related stress and lack of proper sleep, that could be the cause of the problem.
Sleep deprivation is a common health risk that stems from the irregular work hours and shifts a BPO worker is subject to the schedule set by the call center, which includes rest days and holidays. Also, call centers serve customers in Western time zones, voice service workers are active during the night to take or make calls to or from customers.
There are also health risks that are hearing-related. Acoustic shock or hearing damage are any temporary or permanent disturbance on the human ear, which can be caused by the sudden rise of acoustic pressure produced by a telephone earphone pressed against a user’s ear”. There are many people who suffer from it but do not realize it.
Experts in occupational health and safety advocate that employers and firms must be concerned with the conditions of their worker and their environments as these can affect the overall performance of their services to their clients. Executive management and human resources must design a comprehensive health care program that is attuned to the nature, lifestyle and welfare of their call center employees.
Such a health care program should prevent or minimize the ill effects of physical and psycho-emotional hazards a call center agent experiences or get exposed to over time.
A healthy worker is a competent, productive and loyal professional.
Source: Malazarte, Chris. "Call center health issues." 4 June 2011. Cebu's The Freeman. Accessed 6 June 2011. Link Here.
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