When workers heed computer's reminder
to take a break, their productivity jumps, Cornell study finds
FOR RELEASE: Sept. 24, 1999
Contact: Susan S. Lang
Office: (607) 255-3613
E-Mail: SSL4@cornell.edu
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Workers who used computer software to remind them occasionally
to assume good posture, take short breaks and occasionally stretch do
more accurate work and as a result are more productive, according to a
new Cornell University study.
"We found that alerting computer users to take short rests and breaks
improved work accuracy without any reductions in overall keystroke and
mouse use," says Alan Hedge, professor of design and environmental
analysis at Cornell and director of Cornell's Human Factors and Ergonomics
Laboratory. In his study, Hedge found that workers receiving the alerts
were 13 percent more accurate on average in their work than coworkers
who were not reminded. The more the workers typed, the better their accuracy:
the fastest typist made almost 40 percent fewer errors than his counterpart
who did not receive the computer alerts.
This improvement in work accuracy reflects an overall 1 percent jump
in the workers' total productivity during the five-week test period, Hedge
says. "That means the company will recoup its software investment
in about three months and protect its workers from overuse injuries at
the same time."
Hedge conducted a 10-week study of 21 workers at the Wall Street office
of New Century Global, which provides insurance for professional sports
teams, including the New York Jets, as well as Broadway shows and other
clients. The company was committed to improving office ergonomics. After
five weeks of collecting baseline ergonomic data on employees, half the
group was randomly assigned to using off-the-shelf ergonomics risk management
software that takes into account employee work levels, thresholds and
task assignments, and presents on-screen alerts at appropriate times,
reminding workers to assume good posture, take a microbreak and stretch.
The software was designed to manage workflow and injury risks associated
with keyboard and mouse overuse, Hedge said, but it turns out that the
software also helps productivity. "Previous smaller studies of microbreaks
have indicated the potential for productivity improvements by changing
the way people use computers, but this is the first, truly extensive and
real-world study that has accurately measured real productivity and shown
benefits above and beyond overuse injury protection," says Hedge,
who will present his findings to the National Ergonomics Conference and
Exhibition, Dec. 6-9, in Anaheim, Calif.
Hedge measured some 4 million keystrokes during nearly 6,200 hours of
computer use by a variety of participants who used their computers almost
six hours a day. "The results are conclusive. People can measurably
improve their computer productivity and substantially reduce their risk
of repetitive stress injuries if they would simply work smarter,"
Hedge says.
Hedge says that researchers know that people should not continuously
work on computers because of muscle fatigue and increased injury risks.
For these reasons, ergonomists have studied the effects of optimizing
work flow, workload, work patterns and work posture on performance.
"Inappropriate work organization eventually has a deleterious effect
upon work output and work quality, and workers in this situation run a
greater risk of injury," says Hedge. "With the software paying
for itself in three months and the potential reduction in injury risk
associated with overuse of computers, there is now quite a compelling
economic reason to use ergonomic risk management software to optimize
workflow."
The study has been published as Cornell Human Factors Laboratory Technical
Report RP9991.
Related World Wide Web sites: The following sites provide additional
information on this news release. Some might not be part of the Cornell
University community, and Cornell has no control over their content or
availability.
-- For information about the Cornell University Ergonomics Web, see
http://ergo.human.cornell.edu
-- For information on the Cornell Human Factors and Ergonomics Research
Laboratory
http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/AHProjects/HFESlab.html
-- For information on the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis,
see
http://dea.human.cornell.edu/
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