Health concerns in the BPO

My sister used to work for a call center in one of the call centers here in Cebu. For someone who is single plus the fact that she lives with my parents, her pay wasn’t just very good, it was more than enough for her needs and whims. To the envy of her many classmates who settled for an eight-to-five job in government or some office, she also enjoyed incentives and benefits that she didn’t even expect every payday. For many, her work to seemed to be one of those dream careers any white-collared employee would want for a job. 

But she left without any hint of regret in her face. She was in fact happy losing the job. My parents were even happier because they get to see her often on the couch than on her bed. My sister wasn’t really unhappy about her job. She had so many friends. Her bosses were okay and were “jamming” with them every now and then. For someone who needs a job, you wonder why she had to leave a good career, leaving her friends and learnings behind and go on with life. “I had a great time working there. My body wasn’t just happy with the work.” That’s what she said.

Even with the health insurance enjoyed by people in the BPO industry, attrition remains high on the list because of the physical stress that a call center agent must go through all throughout her employment. Health insurance does not solve the health needs of people who make or receive calls for a living at the call centers – they are humans not “answering machines.” They have physical limitations and a social life which are often overlooked by employers.

In fact a significant percentage of workers employed in the country’s business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, majority of whom working in call center facilities, are suffering from work-related health problems, a recent study showed.

The study reveals that “42.6 percent of BPO employees in the Philippines work the night shift, which is associated with occupational safety and health concerns, such as sleep disorders, fatigue, eye strain; neck, shoulder and back pains; and voice problems," a statement in the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) website. The study also adds that “Workers, especially in call centers, have also relatively low autonomy. Their jobs typically involve heavy workloads backed by performance targets and tight rules and procedures enforced by electronic monitoring which are known to produce high levels of work-related stress."

Dr. Rico Sebastian, founder of BPO Health Experts, believes that the time is ripe for BPOs and the healthcare industry to look at the anatomy of the health concerns workers must endure in a call center. (BPO Health Experts, is by the way, comprised of medical practitioners including psychologists and occupational and safety officers that have come together to support the growing BPO sector.)

“Health-related attritions cannot be solved unilaterally no matter how comprehensive the health insurance a worker can get. We have to approach the problem on all sides. Say for instance the habits and lifestyle of workers, their workspaces, their physical and psychological capacity, and so on.” In short, a pill may relieve an agent’s headache but it doesn’t address the cause of the headache. Dr. Sebastian also adds that the “mismatch” is not only on the side of treatment but of the attending professional as well. Yes, a brain surgeon can treat an agent’s headache but a medical practitioner who has been with or have worked for the BPO field for a long time, would make a better doctor. 

“Our goal is not only to reduce employee turnover but to encourage companies to design the right health program attuned to the needs of their workers. And by doing so, we don’t only make productive BPO workers, but we dispel the growing perception that working in call center is unhealthy.” says Sebastian.

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