Jobs that cause a pain in the neck can be a real pain in the ... keister. Other places, too. 

Joanne Turner, president of East Irondequoit Employees (Secretaries), knows from experience. After long days at her computer, she felt neck strain and decided to do something. She called the Monroe 2 Board of Cooperative Educational Services and an occupational therapist came to fix the problem. Turner's office needed some adjusting.

Her computer was at the wrong height, forcing her to stretch her neck to properly see the screen. She had to reach too far to grip the mouse. The angle of her keyboard cramped her wrists when she typed. Once the BOCES professional rearranged some things, her problems subsided.

"My concern for secretaries is that they do not have the right setup," Turner said.

She stressed that it is their right to seek help for ergonomic problems.

"They may be afraid to evoke stuff like that," she said, "but they should know they can do it without repercussions."

BOCES can help

Like Monroe 2, many BOCES are equipped to handle ergonomic issues for employees in their component districts.

For example, the Employee Assistance Program at Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES provides advice for comfort and safety on the job.

Help is available from the Capital Region BOCES' Health/ Safety/Risk Management Department. Specialists will not hesitate to suggest workstation changes if they see a need, said coordinator Kristin Bucciferro.

"Ergonomics is a dynamic thing," she said. "You keep tweaking until the person is comfortable."

It also takes alertness, according to Darryl Alexander, director of occupational health and safety for the American Federation of Teachers, one of NYSUT's national affiliates.

"People are not always good at paying attention to their bodies," she said, "especially if they have a lot of deadlines and their employer is putting too much pressure on them to get things done."

Alexander said eyestrain, in particular, is a common affliction for secretaries.

"Staring at a computer screen is just not healthy," she said. It is smart to take frequent breaks from the computer.

"I'm not saying people should take a coffee break every 45 minutes, but they should try to do some other kind of work," Alexander said. Making copies or phone calls can give someone's eyes needed rest.

One can get relief in the blink of an eye.

"People need to be conscious about blinking," said Alexander. "They don't have enough tearing because they are not blinking a lot."

— Andrew Waite