Mobile working: does it harm health?
At the kitchen table, in the café, on the train, on the park bench - work can now be done almost anywhere. Public places and the home are becoming mobile offices. But even in the mobile office, it is important to ensure a good sitting position and to protect yourself from noise emissions.
We're sitting on the train, bent over our cell phone, typing away at an email, and at some point we feel an uncomfortable pulling sensation in our neck. In the typical "cell phone posture," bent forward, our neck has a 60-degree angle. In doing so, it is at the mercy of a pulling force of 27 kilograms, according to a 2014 study by American spine surgeon Kenneth Hansraj. No wonder the neck hurts after a short time.
In addition to many advantages, the mobile workplace also brings new challenges. Even if this does not solve all problems, we can relieve our bodies with various aids and the appropriate mindfulness.
The 15-minute rhythm
Sitting at the kitchen table or in a train chair, we don't have the opportunity to optimally adjust our chair to our needs. To prevent health problems, it is therefore important to maintain good sitting and head posture while on the move, to take regular breaks from sitting and to change position - every 15 minutes. This makes it possible to sit on a park bench with a laptop on your knees in a less exemplary position. The eyes also feel the difference between mobile work and an ergonomically designed workstation. Since screens on mobile devices are often reflective and smaller than those in the office, the eyes tire more quickly. In addition, it is more strenuous to type texts on the small keyboards of mobile devices.
Mobile working is a matter of planning
Support for work on the road and at home is also provided by holders and stands for mobile devices, so that the head is positioned straight and the neck is relieved. If we take an external keyboard home with us, we have more to carry, but the mobile office becomes a bit more ergonomic.
Mobile workers are often exposed to a higher noise level than in the office. The consequences are loss of concentration and brain power. Headphones, which have a sound-insulating effect and reduce ambient noise, can help. When working on the road, it's also best to plan work that requires less concentration or where you don't have to constantly lean forward to look at the small screen: Phone calls, planning appointments or shorter research tasks.
Mobile working even in the classic office
By the way, mobile working does not only take place outside the office: In the modern office today, you can find sofa corners, bars, standing desks and other options that invite you to interrupt your work at the classic desk and use the new environment for a change of scenery. If there are such alternative workplaces in your office, use them! But don't forget to change your position after 15 minutes at the latest. Your neck, in particular, will thank you.
The Federal Coordination Commission for Occupational Safety EKAS provides these and other tips free of charge. Information brochures and entertaining online tools for improving safety and health in the office can be found at
