High Level of Injuries in Call Centres Claims UNISON

The UK´s largest public service trade union, UNISON, has claimed that a high level of injuries is being sustained in the country´s call centres due to a lack of basic health and safety.

The “Injuries in Call Centre” claims follow a study conducted by the University of Portsmouth Business School on behalf of UNISON which saw researchers visiting call centres around the country and an e-questionnaire circulated among UNISON members known to be employed in call centre environments. Over one million people are employed in call centres in the UK and the research team made some disturbing claims based on the results of their study.

The researcher´s report claimed that almost 60 percent of interviewees and respondents experienced short-term hearing issues, while nearly 70 percent reported some level of eye strain. Of more concern to UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, was that more than 80 percent of respondents complained that their work caused them to feel stressed – with a quarter of those admitting that their levels of stress were impacting their home and family lives.

Mr Prentis commented on the report “Workers rightly expect their employers to have a duty of care not only to their physical health, but also to their mental wellbeing, and the findings of this survey – that 8 in 10 are experiencing stress, a quarter of them to a damaging degree – must be addressed urgently. The alarming number of health problems highlighted by the survey shows why health and safety matters, and the folly of this government’s constant attacks on health & safety and the cuts in inspections in workplaces such as call centres.”

Call centre work is often repetitive, target-driven and closely monitored, and employees in this industry have also frequently complained of issues with losing their voices – depriving them of the opportunity to work and earn money. If employers are in breach of their legal obligations to provide a healthy environment in which to work, and employees sustain related injuries of the nature mentioned above, it is advised that they speak with a solicitor to investigate the possibility of making injuries in call centre claims for compensation.