Emerging Risks in Contact Center Sector: A Review

Contact Center sector has experienced significant growth in recent decades. This growth has implicated new technologies, increasing workloads and new forms of employment. All of them can lead to ergonomic and psychosocial risks. The aim of this study is to review literature about ergonomic and psychosocial risk factors, as well as the preventive measures advised in the Contact Center sector. The review found that more than half of the workers show high prevalence in musculoskeletal disorders. In addition, there is dissatisfaction regarding lighting conditions, temperature and noise. Regarding psychosocial factors, there is a high prevalence of lack of autonomy and social support, high psychological demands, job insecurity and monitoring. In most cases women are in worse conditions that men. However, no major differences were found between workers in internal and external Contact Centers.

[1]  Svend Erik Mathiassen,et al.  Variation between seated and standing/walking postures among male and female call centre operators , 2012, BMC Public Health.

[2]  Sunisa Chaiklieng,et al.  Ergonomic Risk Assessment among Call Center Workers , 2015 .

[3]  Chih-Yong Chen,et al.  Perceived job stress and health complaints at a bank call center: comparison between inbound and outbound services. , 2010, Industrial health.

[4]  Allan Toomingas,et al.  Musculoskeletal symptoms in relation to work exposures at call centre companies in Sweden. , 2008, Work.

[5]  Working conditions and psychosocial risk factors of employees in French electricity and gas company customer support departments , 2011, International archives of occupational and environmental health.

[6]  T. Wall,et al.  Work characteristics, musculoskeletal disorders, and the mediating role of psychological strain: a study of call center employees. , 2007, The Journal of applied psychology.

[7]  B. Charbotel,et al.  Call-handlers’ working conditions and their subjective experience of work: a transversal study , 2008, International archives of occupational and environmental health.

[8]  Yen-Hui Lin,et al.  An Ergonomic Evaluation of a Call Center Performed by Disabled Agents , 2008, Perceptual and motor skills.

[9]  D. Odebiyi,et al.  Prevalence and Impact of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders on Job Performance of Call Center Operators in Nigeria , 2016, The international journal of occupational and environmental medicine.

[10]  D. M. Glina,et al.  Risk factors for musculoskeletal symptoms among call center operators of a bank in São Paulo, Brazil. , 2005, Industrial health.

[11]  H. Cohen,et al.  Technology use and psychosocial factors in the self-reporting of musculoskeletal disorder symptoms in call center workers. , 2003, Journal of safety research.

[12]  Lys Esther Rocha,et al.  Risk factors for computer visual syndrome (CVS) among operators of two call centers in São Paulo, Brazil. , 2012, Work.

[13]  Değer Öngül,et al.  Frequency of temporomandibular disorder signs and symptoms among call center employees , 2017, Cranio : the journal of craniomandibular practice.

[14]  Allan Toomingas,et al.  Workstation layout and work postures at call centres in Sweden in relation to national law, EU-directives and ISO-standards, and to operators’ comfort and symptoms , 2008 .

[15]  M. Lourel.  Rapports au travail, contrôle et santé dans les centres de gestion de la relation–client , 2006 .

[16]  Alessandro Migliardi,et al.  Risk Factors for Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Symptoms among Call Center Employees , 2010, Journal of occupational health.

[17]  P. Shekelle,et al.  Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement , 2015, Systematic Reviews.

[18]  Allan Toomingas,et al.  Working Conditions in a Selected Sample of Call Centre Companies in Sweden , 2008, International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics : JOSE.

[19]  Allan Toomingas,et al.  Working conditions and health among female and male employees at a call center in Sweden. , 2004, American journal of industrial medicine.

[20]  B. Charbotel,et al.  Working conditions in call-centers, the impact on employee health: a transversal study. Part II , 2009, International archives of occupational and environmental health.

[21]  A. d’Errico,et al.  [Working conditions and health problems among call-centre operators: a study on self-reported data in the Piedmont Region (Italy)]. , 2008, La Medicina del lavoro.