The greatest challenge to the working environment of the call centre industry

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The greatest challenge to the working environment
of the call centre industry
Christina Jonsson Ergonomist HCI Central
Supervision Departement Phone [phone]
18 E-mail christina.jonsson_at_av.se www.av.se Pres
ident of the Ergonomics Society of Sweden,
ESS www.ergonomisallskapet.se
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Organising the call centre work with regard to
variation and recuperation
The greatest challenge?
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Background Work Environment at Call Centres
2002-2003
A 2-year project by the Swedish Work Environment
Authority
In focus
Organisation of the work with regard to closely
controlled, restricted or monotonously repetitive
phone and computer work.
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Mental and physical variation
Lack of variation
Physically inactive work. But, depending on the
work content, it can also be mentally monotonous.

• High mental demands on the employees quickly
  resulting in tiredness and performance
  deficiencies

• Variation is a key factor for the operators
  ability to perform

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Recuperation
Variation is important for recovery at work

• Call centre work is often perceived by the
  employees as closely controlled, restricted and
  monotonously repetitive phone and computer work.

Work tasks without phone and computer incl.
opportunities for physical variation

• Recuperation short and frequent breaks are
  necessary. Breaks every 30 or 60 minutes may be
  needed to be vigilant and efficient. But breaks
  can very well mean doing other work tasks which
  give physical and mental variation.

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A sound working environment at call and contact
centres
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A sound working environment at call and contact
centres
Guidelines for healthy work at call centres
Developed by a joint committee of researchers,
experts from the authority, the union, the
employers organization and representatives from
the Swedish call centre organizations
Aim Provide call centre managers and staff
advice on how to improve health and productivity
at call centres
The guidelines are available in a short and a
full-text version on the website of the Swedish
Work Environment Authority, www.av.se
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Increase variation, reduce pressure, enhance the
work content e.g. by

Increasing job control and decision latitude
Involving the employees in planning/scheduling
Frequent meetings between management and employees
Discuss quality aspects skip the statistics, it
speaks for itself
Opportunities for professional development , e.g.
different sorts of project
Different tasks such as administration, planning,
training and practical service work
Decreasing the time the operators are logged on
per day may increase the time actual taking
calls
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TIPS for enhancing variation and recovery at work

Provide training and coaching sessions
Divide the time between calls and other tasks,
e.g. dealing with e-mail/post
Alternate between sitting and standing while
working stand for at least 10 min per hour
Take a stretch between calls
Arrange exercise breaks and lunchtime walks
Allow employees responsibilities for organising
staff activities, ordering and performing
practical service tasks, maintenance of equipment
and facilities
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Next call please - thank you!