Employee Training

The training is prepared for the organisation

Ergonomics training often consists of generic content told in the same way to every organisation. Even when this content gives accurate information, it does not turn into behaviour because it does not show the employee what to do at their own desk. In this programme the training is built on the findings of an assessment made in the organisation’s own work environment.

When the content is prepared, the organisation’s employee profile, task types, equipment in use and the share of remote work are taken into account. A team that works mainly on laptops and a team that uses multiple screens do not work with the same content. In the same way, load on the neck and shoulder stands out in a team that spends the day on the phone, while repetitive wrist movement stands out in a team with intensive data entry.

The training runs information and practice together. Core information on musculoskeletal health is passed on in plain language; employees then practise adjustment at their own stations. The aim is that after the training the employee is in a position to make adjustments on their own.

Content themes

The training is usually built around these themes: the basic frame of musculoskeletal health and how physical load accumulates; recognising the workstation and making adjustments for the person; sitting behaviour and the importance of changing position during the day; the work–break pattern and active-break practice; points to watch in laptop and portable work setups.

For hybrid teams, arranging the home workspace is treated as a separate theme. For managers, meeting planning, the structure of work blocks and supporting a break habit at team level can be planned as a separate briefing.

Among the themes are also concrete questions employees meet every day: to what height the screen should be brought, how the chair’s back support should be set, where the keyboard and mouse should sit on the desk, when foot support is needed. These questions are answered through the equipment in front of the employee, not through abstract principles.

The training content does not include diagnosis, treatment or an individual exercise prescription. Employees who have an existing complaint are advised to seek an appropriate health assessment, and it is stated clearly which signs should be assessed without delay.

Format and participation

The training can be run in person or online. The in-person format is preferred for desk teams because it lets employees practise at their own stations. The online format is useful for bringing together teams in different locations and teams that work from home in the same content; in that case employees practise in their own workspaces.

Group size is planned according to the time that will be given to practice. Smaller groups are possible in practice-heavy sessions, and wider participation in information-heavy sessions. The number of sessions and the timetable are set together according to the organisation’s shift and work pattern.

Whether participation is useful depends on the session sitting inside the employee’s own working day. In training placed outside working hours or in intense delivery periods the practice section weakens. That is why the timetable is planned with departments’ work intensity in mind, and the same content is repeated for different groups when needed.

What remains after the training

Participants are left with a short reference that reminds them of the adjustments practised in the training. This content covers the steps for setting their own station and active-break recommendations that can be applied during the day; it is prepared so that it can be shared on the organisation’s internal communication channels.

The organisation is given a post-training summary: which themes were covered, common questions that stood out during participation, and the difficulties employees mentioned most often. This summary is used to set the later stages of the ergonomics work and the themes to follow in the follow-up period.

Training is the fourth stage of the consultancy model and can also be planned on its own. When it is run together with the assessment stage, though, the content is more concrete because it rests on the organisation’s own findings.