The Real World Repercussions Of Virtual Fatigue | Godrej Interio

1. The Real World Repercussions of VIRTUAL FATIGUE

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 3 The repercussions of virtual fatigue 4–13 4 • Visual fatigue and how to see things anew • Listener’s fatigue and playing it by the ear 8 • Physical fatigue and working a way around it 9 • Mental fatigue and our thoughts on how to solve 12 Conclusion 14 PAGE NO: 2 THE REAL WORLD REPERCUSSIONS OF VIRTUAL FATIGUE

3. INTRODUCTION To simply say that our lives have changed since the pandemic, would be an understatement. We have had to press the pause button, evaluate and hit restart on almost everything including the way we work. Today, as we work from the comfort of our homes (and in some crucial ways, the discomfort of our homes), we tend to use multiple communication platforms to get the job done and stay connected to our teams. For more than a year now, nearly 80% of the Indian workforce has been compelled to work remotely. Covid-19 paralysed every avenue in the reach of humans except technology. Like a one-stop-solution, it has enabled us to hold virtual meetings with teams of any size, stationed anywhere in the world. In the work environment, we will be hard pressed to find even a single person who hasn’t been a part of an online meeting in the past year. ‘Am I audible?’ has become a constant refrain. While we strove to be audible, what wasn’t visible to us, was that while the virtual meeting facility is a convenient blessing, it is also hazardous to our health if not monitored. Virtual fatigue has become a moniker for the health concerns arising out of unregulated participation in virtual meetings. Sitting in a spot for prolonged periods to attend long meetings can result in body pain problems - a product of Virtual Fatigue. Ergonomic stressors like static postures and stances like leaning forward during virtual calls can cause one to feel physical fatigue. With the second wave of Covid-19 and the possible third being anticipated, it is fairly certain that virtual conferencing will be the way to conduct work and engagement for the foreseeable future. In this scenario, organisations across the country need to be aware of the related occupational distress in order to ensure the wellbeing of their workforce. But why do virtual calls drain our energy? What exactly is virtual fatigue? What is its impact on an employee's wellbeing? To get to the bottom of these pertinent concerns, we at the Workplace and Ergonomics research cell of Godrej Interio, conducted an extensive research to suggest appropriate solutions to organisations. Apart from formulating best practices to follow during remote work, we came up with exercises and tips to safeguard the Indian workforce’s health and wellbeing. At Godrej Interio, we conducted a pan India survey and reached out to the country’s workforce to understand the challenges they face as they work virtually. A total of 235 office-going employees participated in the research, of which 68% belonged to the age group of 26-40 year olds, a majority of them working for MNCs and Indian corporates. Our research revealed that for the past year, as many as 46% of employees have been working from home and just 19%, out of office. The upcoming chapters take a closer look at the employees working from home since the pandemic, and how virtual fatigue is finding its way into their lives. PAGE NO: 3 THE REAL WORLD REPERCUSSIONS OF VIRTUAL FATIGUE

4. THE REPERCUSSIONS OF VIRTUAL FATIGUE Of late, virtual meetings have become a huge part of our lives. Be it to connect with our loved ones or to reach out to colleagues, we often end up spending hours in front of cellphones or laptops. We assure you - if you feel drained after these calls, you’re not alone in this. There is now a term for it; the exhaustion we feel after taking an extended virtual call is called Virtual Fatigue. It affects our wellbeing in many ways. Here are the factors that lead to this fatigue: VISUAL FATIGUE LISTENER’S FATIGUE PHYSICAL FATIGUE MENTAL FATIGUE VISUAL FATIGUE AND HOW TO SEE THINGS ANEW “ I work for more than 8 hours and attend more than 20 calls which requires me to sit for more than 3 hours at a stretch every day. Towards the end of the day, I experience moderate irritation in my eyes,” said Sivadas VV, who works in the Sales department. Since the pandemic, laptops and cellphones have played a considerable role in ensuring that our professional obligations are always met. However, to get the job done, many of us spend more time than usual in front of screens. Our research revealed that nearly 72% of the Indian workforce spends 9 hours (sometimes even more!) a day connected to computer/laptop screens to meet their deadlines at work. Video and audio calling are the two most widely used mediums to connect with colleagues at work. With the barrage of online meetings that now take up most of our day, don’t we suddenly have a newfound love for emails? During the study, 35% of respondents revealed that they attend more than 20 virtual calls on a typical working day, one after another. These calls are a combination of both audio and visual and are scheduled without adequate breaks. The bottom line is that video calls (read looking at screens all day long) have now become the go-to mode for employees to communicate. PAGE NO: 4 THE REAL WORLD REPERCUSSIONS OF VIRTUAL FATIGUE

5. Viewing a computer or a smartphone screen during video calls, especially for video conferencing where the participants are required to read or type or compare data on the screen, needs far more attentive gazing. Employees need to focus, and in doing so they end up straining their eyes in an effort to catch every detail in the meeting. Sometimes network issues make seeing and hearing difficult, particularly when someone projects an excel sheet or files that need close viewing. Additionally, the need to virtually maintain eye contact with the person conducting can be tiring. These factors cause strain on visual muscles as the eye movement is limited. All this discomfort results in visual fatigue, eye strain and headaches. According to our studies, 41% of employees experience moderate to extreme irritation levels and burning in their eyes at the end of long virtual calls. Multiple studies suggest that any activity that requires a person to stare at a screen for extended periods through the day, gradually leads to blurred vision. During our research too, 19% of respondents claimed to experience blurry vision after extended video calls. Another crucial area to explore while understanding visual fatigue is gadget usage for virtual calls. While using devices like smartphones, laptops, computers or tablets, people assume different viewing angles and stances because of the screen size. While we do keep moving and changing stances in an effort to be comfortable, it doesn’t help because this activity can result in increased fatigue of the eye and neck muscles. PAGE NO: 5 THE REAL WORLD REPERCUSSIONS OF VIRTUAL FATIGUE

6. Nearly 43% of employees use smartphones to attend a mix of audio and video calls, and a significant 21% use them to attend video calls. Video calls on cell phones translate to using a smaller screen, having closer eye contact with the gadget and assuming a neck flexion posture. These are significant factors that cause visual fatigue. Apart from screen size, ergonomic factors like illumination, screen alignment and glare put additional strain on eyes. Some percentages of employees are using Tablet & Desktop too while attending calls. Gadget usage while attending work calls: Smartphone Laptop 79% Audio calls 21% Video calls 43% Mix of both 37% Audio calls 73% Video calls 66% Mix of both Engagement is an equally important aspect of virtual calls, the level of engagement varies among employees. 57% of them actively listen and provide live feedback, whereas 28% tend to pay attention but not participate. It wasn’t surprising to know that 60% of employees feel virtual meetings are effective, but 89% would be happy to continue it in audio mode if given a choice. Our statistics reveal that only 9% of organisations have made it mandatory for their employees to switch their video on for calls, which is good news as not switching the video on can reduce the pressure on employees and the social anxiety they feel. Organisations would do well to formulate policies that give employees the flexibility to keep their videos off for certain types of meetings while asking them to keep it on for critical, customer-interfacing calls. Given the above situation, it is advisable to practice Digital Wellbeing: To reduce stress caused to eyes and neck muscles, align your screen with your height by keeping it at eye level or slightly below it. It is always a good idea to use an ergo stand, box or smartphone accessory for additional support. 1. Let system settings rescue you. Your gadget’s screen brightness level could be too high or too low for comfortable reading. All you need to do is change the settings. A little bit of adjustment in brightness and contrast features can save your eyes a lot of strain. 2. Most smart gadgets come with an option of night mode. That setting reduces the amount of blue light coming from the screen, gives it a warmer hue and enables a comfortable experience. This feature is designed to help prevent sleeping trouble after prolonged gadget use, or using gadgets at night. a. PAGE NO: 6 THE REAL WORLD REPERCUSSIONS OF VIRTUAL FATIGUE

7. Be it your smartphone or laptop, the night mode can be set for specific times of the day, ensuring seamless and efficient usage. b. Set a timer on your phone or any app to remind yourself to look away from the screen. That will help follow the 20/20/20 rule. Automated reminders are lifesavers since our focused workdays often lead to forgetfulness. 3. It can be a huge struggle to monitor a large number of faces on the computer screen. Fortunately, many virtual call apps come with an option of “Speaker View or Gallery Display”. This option can help lessen the exhaustion by keeping your focus squarely on the speaker. Speaker view is more like standing around a meeting table but focusing only on the person speaking. It already sounds easier, right? 4. Taking calls in audio mode can be more comfortable than video, especially for extended meetings. It enables attendees to conveniently take a posture break, walk around, multitask and even attend to children and family members during emergencies. 5. 6. Blink your eyes often. Do these eye exercises to reduce fatigue: - Rotate eyeballs 10 circles to left - Blink your eyes - Rotate eyeballs 10 circles to right - Blink your eyes - Close your eyes as tightly as you can - Hold 5 seconds, then relax - Cross your eyes by looking at the tip of your nose - Look up at your eyebrows and then back to the tip of the nose - Relax your eyes, repeat 5 times, blink your eyes - Open your eyes wide open - Hold 5 seconds, then relax - Repeat 10 times, blink your eyes PAGE NO: 7 THE REAL WORLD REPERCUSSIONS OF VIRTUAL FATIGUE

8. LISTENER’S FATIGUE AND PLAYING IT BY THE EAR “ My audio calls are for 15 minutes, but video calls last for more than 30 minutes on an average. I always use headphones and feel extremely tired at the end of the day. Sometimes I feel pain in my ears because of excessive headphone usage,” expressed Shekhar, who works in HR department. Whether on video or audio calls, participating in virtual meetings can be strenuous on the ears. Listening to any sound for extended periods causes Listeners Fatigue, also known as Ear Fatigue. Employees are exposed to it due to extensive use of headphones/earpods leading to inner ear pain. Often, to spare their families any disturbance, people have switched from speaker mode to using headphones. Moreover, headphones or earpods offer clearer narration and hearing. These accessories become even more crucial when they have to take notes or if they want to feel more natural while talking to their colleagues virtually. As a result, headphone usage has dramatically increased. Headphone usage: 63% For laptop 31% For tablet 61% For smartphone In scientific terms, listeners’ fatigue is a phenomenon that occurs after prolonged exposure to an auditory stimulus. Experts are still exploring the exact causes behind it, but it is thought to be an extension of the quantifiable psychological perception of sound, the symptoms of which include tiredness, discomfort, and pain. During our study, 53% of participants said that their calls often last as long as 45 minutes to an hour at a stretch. On occasion, these calls go on for 3-4 hours without a break. Respondents revealed that the discomfort experienced during long audio calls includes ear pain or headaches, as well as wrist and elbow discomfort. More than 50% of employees experience ear pain due to the prolonged use of headphones/earpods, both commonly used accessories. To avoid this, organisations can set a call limit/task limit per day for their employees. It is understandable that some days work load doesn’t leave room for any breaks but in such cases, the immediate managers and employees should formulate a plan of action that grants breaks to everyone and ensures responsibilities are met as well. Nothing works better than employees and managers fine tuning the process in a joint effort. PAGE NO: 8 THE REAL WORLD REPERCUSSIONS OF VIRTUAL FATIGUE

9. Employers can also introduce a no-call day policy periodically - once a week or month, as workload permits, to ensure there is no burnout among the employees. They can communicate through the means of emails, just like old times. Considering the alarming number of professionals who are adversely affected by prolonged work calls, a handy cheat sheet of solutions can go a long way: Find a corner in the house which is far from all human and appliance distraction. Eliminate background noise whenever possible. The less background noise your ears and brain are forced to process, the easier it will be for you to focus on the ongoing conversation. 1. At times when you feel overwhelmed, stressed or agitated, deep breathing exercises can prove to be fruitful. Take a few minutes off from work to breathe. This will clear your mind as well as reduce stress and blood pressure. 2. Take a quick 20-30 minute power nap. Apart from helping you relax and feel energetic, it can improve work efficiency without affecting your night-time sleep schedule. Sleeping really does solve every problem! 3. 4. Whenever possible, take a break from using headphones/earpods. Sanitize the accessory every day before use. PHYSICAL FATIGUE AND WORKING A WAY AROUND IT “ I work sitting on my bed for 2-3 hours. I feel wrist, elbow, neck, back and shoulder pain by the end of the day.” Kalpita, from Finance department said. Sitting for extended hours can result in physical fatigue. While working remotely, employees often sit on their beds, floor, sofa or a chair for long calls. There is very limited scope of moving for them during video calls or during the calls in which they have to take notes. Our study suggests that 40% of professionals working remotely, sit in one place without any breaks. The pattern of breaks varies from person to person, depending on the number of calls in a day and their duration. 23% of employees take breaks of less than 15 minutes between calls. There are times when employees get a chance to take a break only after 3-4 hours of work calls. Sitting in a static posture for long hours is only one part of the problem. People also tend to take calls sitting in an informal work set-up, resulting in the adopting incorrect postures. As per our study, 19% of employees attend long calls sitting on their bed, 13% on the sofa and 9% on the floor - all less than ideal arrangements. On the positive side, 50% of professionals use a more conducive table-chair arrangement, but tend to sit for long hours without any breaks. PAGE NO: 9 THE REAL WORLD REPERCUSSIONS OF VIRTUAL FATIGUE

10. Sitting in an informal setting and not taking breaks contributes to static and incorrect postures. This leads to postural fatigue and gradually results in pain. Organisations should study the pattern of work and calls every employee takes during the day. Unless essential, large meetings with several participants can be replaced with shorter one-on-one calls. While this might prove to be time consuming for the team lead, it can make the team more efficient as they will have more time to handle their tasks. To ensure breaks for the team lead as well, calls can be scheduled alternatively throughout the week. Additionally, employers can consider investing in an ergonomic desk and chair for their staff. Our research revealed that 86% of employees are experiencing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), with women suffering more than their male counterparts. Employees in the age group of 26 to 40 have reported the highest number of complaints of pain. It should be noted that MSDs related to the spine are significantly high. Our study also revealed MSDs related to elbow and wrist pain. These two areas of pain, namely the elbow and wrist, were most common in smartphone users who assumed static postures while holding their phone during long calls. A repetitive form of such and injury is better known to us as the tennis elbow. PAGE NO: 10 THE REAL WORLD REPERCUSSIONS OF VIRTUAL FATIGUE

11. Pain analysis: 54% Neck pain 29% Shoulder pain 62% Back pain 15% Wrist pain 15% Elbow pain 11% Knee pain Looking at the startling statistics mentioned above, we can practice the following solutions to reduce physical fatigue while working from home: Set up your work desk mindfully. A chair and table set-up will ensure you sit right and keep MSDs at bay. 1. Ensure correct monitor placement - Distance & level Always take breaks! Take posture breaks every 30 minutes. 2. It would be best if you tried to relax different muscles, ideally any two muscles, by stretching every hour. Make some space for these stretches in your work routine. 3. PAGE NO: 11 THE REAL WORLD REPERCUSSIONS OF VIRTUAL FATIGUE

12. MENTAL FATIGUE AND OUR THOUGHTS ON HOW TO SOLVE IT “ Sometimes I experience headache due to long calls. My working hours have certain- ly increased. After an exhausting day at work, I sometimes feel the need to be alone. Also, on the days I work for too long, I face trouble sleeping,” said Ishita, who works in Finance department. Living in times of heightened awareness, we understand mental fatigue only too well. It is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive stress. Each of us has gone through this but probably weren’t aware of the term. Mental fatigue, also known as burnout, is a product of working for long hours, attending multiple calls, multitasking, getting deprived of personal time, experiencing improper sleep schedule, hearing upsetting news and so on. In the current scenario, employees find themselves feeling the need to take a break more often than before the pandemic. Factors like a small, unchanging work environment and working without any real time interaction with colleagues, takes a toll on mental health. Virtual calls have only added to this load. Gesturing more prominently, looking at yourself while talking to others,speaking loudly or articulating strenuously when the internet connection is poor - are all unnatural and require more effort to send and receive the message. Work-induced burnout is a common issue. The ongoing global health crisis has certainly amplified this stress for the working population. Employees across the country are facing health issues, including disturbed sleep patterns, extreme fatigue, headaches and the inability to focus on work. As per our study, women are more affected by these health issues than men. 60% of professionals feel moderate to extreme levels of fatigue. 53% of them have trouble sleeping at the end of the workday, and 51% experience headaches after long work calls. Distractions during virtual calls add up to this stress. More than 60% of study participants expressed that network connectivity issues disturb them while working, while 47% get affected by background noises. To help their employees, organisations can introduce breaks during long meetings. They can have a protocol in place for clients as well which allows employees to take a break every 45 minutes. This will help both employees and clients to plan calls around their agenda more efficiently and allow everyone to come back with the same energy to finish their tasks in time while maintaining a posi- tive attitude. Additionally, employers can also mandate meetings which require only the speaker to have their video on. In the meantime, others can focus on taking notes or understanding the data shared on screen. With video off, the participants can focus all their energy on work, without stressing about how they appear or having to engage via gestures. PAGE NO: 12 THE REAL WORLD REPERCUSSIONS OF VIRTUAL FATIGUE

13. It is exceptionally crucial for employees to feel relaxed and stay away from mental fatigue for a healthy lifestyle. The below-stated solutions can be trusted to get rid of burnout: If you can control your workday in any manner, do so, and aim to schedule mindfully. Plan the day as per your convenience, and remember, your mental health is extremely important. 1. Make the most of technology. Mark your calendar as “unavailable” and take some time off, for yourself. 2. Always practice mindful breathing. Take a few minutes for yourself before clicking “Start the meeting” to calm yourself down. Meditate regularly for a calmer mind. 3. Plan your day. Exercise, eat your meals on time, hydrate and avoid too much caffeine. You should always have some “me time” in your routine. Make sure you disconnect from work for some time, to connect only with your family and friends. 4. 5. Engage in your hobbies. 6. Plant some greens around your work desk to feel fresh and channel positive vibes. PAGE NO: 13 THE REAL WORLD REPERCUSSIONS OF VIRTUAL FATIGUE

14. CONCLUSION Work-life balance and self-care have always been at the center of the wellness discourse in organisations. Only now, the work from home dynamic has entirely changed how we see both these issues. The rise of the home-office and ensuing adaptations made by professionals and their families has brought into focus some niggling health concerns that are only now beginning to emerge, a year into remote working. Employees across the country are facing MSDs relating to neck, back and spine. Not only are they severely affected physically but also mentally and psychologically. The new working model requires them to sit in a spot for extended hours without taking any breaks, participating in long video and audio calls. These hectic work days carried out at home result in Virtual Fatigue, causing professionals to feel visual, auditory, physical and mental fatigue. The con- stant need to be in touch with colleagues virtually has made it nearly impossible for employees to stay away from their gadgets, particularly laptops and smartphone screens. They are now more prone to blurry vision, eye strain, inner ear pain, headaches, tiredness, and disturned sleep patterns. In the light of the current situation, we must not forget that the human body is like a machine; one that needs consistent and good care. To optimise productivity, people need to relax, rejuvenate and give the body enough time to come back stronger. While making every effort to meet professional goals, people also need to set personal goals which define physical and mental wellbeing. Organisations play an equally important role in employee wellbeing. Now is the time for employers to step up and introduce rules that comfort professionals who work from home and rely heavily on video conferencing to get the job done. As we ace this new working method, it is incredibly crucial to take care of ourselves and the strategies we adopt to meet professional needs. Work from home can be a double-edged sword which we must shape to our convenience keeping both the wellbeing of the teams and business considerations in mind. PAGE NO: 14 THE REAL WORLD REPERCUSSIONS OF VIRTUAL FATIGUE

15. ABOUT GODREJ INTERIO Godrej Interio (GI) is India’s premium furniture brand in both home and institutional segments with a strong commitment to sustainability and centers of excellence in design, manufacturing and retail. Led by the largest in-house design team in the country in the furniture category and awarded with 34 India Design Mark Awards till date, GI aims to transform spaces with its thoughtfully designed furniture to create brighter homes and offices with products that have the highest design quotient in aesthetics, functionality and technology. With consistent pursuit of excellence and a special focus on health and ergonomics, GI’s product portfolio comprises a massive range. Today, we design and manufacture furniture for office spaces, homes, educational institutes, healthcare facilities, laboratories and more. Along with furniture we offer Audio Visual and 360 Degree Turnkey solutions. Each of our product range revolves around comfort and aesthetics while delivering well-designed, fun and functional furniture solutions. Briefly, Godrej Interio transforms dream spaces to life! GI commitment to the environment has resulted in manufacturing products with lesser environment footprint. Our pioneering efforts include designing less environment burdening products, usage of eco-friendly materials and setting up less polluting andconsuming processes, ensuring eco-friendly packaging and transportation and finally the extended responsibility of recycling/reuse of used furniture and scrap, thus ensuring a lifecycle approach to green. Currently present in over 650 cities with 250 exclusive showrooms and 800 dealers, GI is one of the largest divisions of Godrej and Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd., part of the Godrej Group, one of India's largest engineering and customer product groups. DISCLAIMER This paper represents the opinions of the authors and is the product of professional research. This report has been prepared for the addressee(s) and solely for the purpose for which it is provided. Unless we provide express prior written consent, no part of this report should be reproduced or distributed. While every attempt is made to ensure that the information contained in this document is true to its best. However, Godrej and Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd., its employees, representatives, affiliates or any of its divisions, etc. shall not be responsible for any reliance made on this paper or for any errors / omissions in information obtained from the source while preparing this paper. exclusive use and benefit of the PAGE NO: 15 THE REAL WORLD REPERCUSSIONS OF VIRTUAL FATIGUE