Hurt and sick workers, with few others to cover them in today's still-tight labor markets, will likely lead to longer queues and greater abandons, which may lead to loss of sales and customer loyalty. Especially if these sick agents are top performers and have unique skills and training, like the ability to speak other languages and to handle on-line communications, or have special licensing such as for insurance, real estate and securities. Existing agents forced to work more hours to cover absent or injured agents can become more stressed, affecting their attitude and performance. You may have to call in a staffing agency or an outsourcer to fill vacancies and bring up your performance - at added costs. At first glance, it can be difficult to realize that call center workers may get injured and sick while doing their jobs.
Agents suffer from head, neck, and to a lesser extent, back and leg injuries at their workstations.
They also experience headaches, neck, arm and mid-back pain. Two of the most common MSDs are carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by compression of the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel of the wrist that eventually results in damage to this nerve. Tendinitis , or tendonitis, is the irritation and inflammation of the tendon. Twisted hand posture, high repetition and force on the tendon cause tendinitis.