Working in a call center have both beneficial and harmful effect to health. Call center agents to face irate callers making their job stressful. Find out the call center agent commonly encounters illnesses.
Working in a call center is very promising? Why?
You got to work in a prestigious BPO or Business process outsourcing company and any experience you could get could add or improve your communication and personality skills. The earning is good compare to other occupation. You got to meet a lot of people at the same time sharing the same interest. There are many potentials for performance advancement.
Attending a lot of training and brain enhancement makes you an expert in learning other cultures aside from human delegating skills. Your career is a boost. You could be involved in a lot of projects and hence step the ladder by being a potential candidate for promotion. It seems to be a very lucrative source of income and aside from the no age limit policy. Many good points would lure anyone to be eager to work in a call center.
The Call Center Agent Dilemma
Those who already pass the personality, speech, and interview test may be overly excited knowing they already pass the strenuous test. Finally, becoming a call center agent – a dream job for some folks! However, at the initial stage, many call centers would be so happy to think it could be a stable job and might be helpful to complete much desire in life. But the adventure does not yet start it just begins! However, the journey is not all good at some point in time. Why? Because some experience is not just desirable. Find out?
Illnesses Commonly Encountered by Call Center Agents
Working in a Business Process Outsourcing company is not enjoyable for a very long time. Why? The longer period of working in a call center could be detrimental to one’s health. Here are the reasons;
High blood pressure
The stresses of the job are overwhelming. Working in different shifts during daytime or grave shift for straight weeks or in some cases in one straight month give Call center Agent or Customer representatives with little choice and because of time management conflict. The health of the body is generally affected. Even at the young age between 20 and 26 years and above are likely candidates for many circulatory problems. The shocking truth most call center agents have a raised blood pressure of 160/120, 190/100, and numerical sudden raise in Bps. This could be attributed to the hectic schedules of work, stress from hearing and talking to rude callers, sleep deprivation, lack of exercise, and most are prone to smoking abuse.
Respiratory problems
Call center agents are prone to many respiratory problems such as pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis, allergy, and asthma. The causes are due to an unhealthy working environment as many call center agents are subject to long hours of working. The too much cold and humidity brought by the air conditioning room and presence of carpeted floors and absence of cubicles for individual agent make them more susceptible to any communicable diseases
Acoustic shock
Many call center agents are prone to suffer from an Ear infection and acoustic shock brought by shouting and screaming from rude callers and the telephone equipment. As the electrical feedback, noncompliant switchboard, latent sonic spikes, turret headsets, and electrical feedback added to annoying background noise.
Voice loss
Many call center agents consult speech therapists and physicians to prescribe those medicines that could relax their vocal cords. Having a good voice is necessary once it is affected means no income as it could lead to absenteeism. Long hours of talking with little rest could be the main culprit leading to dry throat and sore throat due to lack of moisture from drinking little water. In severe cases, the vocal strain can produce inflammation of the larynx, swelling of the vocal cords, and ulceration of the lips.
Ulcer
The length of time working as schedule could lead to ulcers due to the inability to eat on time. The strict policy of working without any intermittent schedules is often not allowed until the shift is over. It is necessary to have time to take a short nap; hand and back massage as sitting all day, or night time before working should be allowed giving time for a brief relaxation. This could be essential to maintain a healthy body.
Carpal tunnels syndrome
The length of time spent in front of the computer using the mouse could affect the fingers it would lead to numbness or carpal syndrome where the median nerves are pinched within the finger tunnel causing pain, numbness of the hand. The repetitive motion that requires the uses of hand could aggravate carpal tunnels syndromes such as writing, painting, and typing with little rest
Lung cancer
Many call center agents are addicted to smoking. While waiting for the shifts or from a small break from work they gather to smoke or pass the time. Long-term exposure to tobacco substances could lead to lung problems and in severe cases lung cancer.
Urinary tract infection
Because of the little time or no break allow. Many call center agent is given little time to pee and pressure to work continuously as brief interruption could lead loss of productivity. Both women and men could suffer from urinary tract infection and in severe cases being hospitalized or undergo surgery.
Depression/Anxiety
The little freedom of time to have a chance to relax could lead to depression and anxiety. Facing a lot of complaints from rude clients and failure to resolve the complaint could aggregate the symptoms leading to unhappiness and worry.
Insomnia
The inability to sleep at the normal time could lead to insomnia. Especially when one has no choice but to follow the tight working shift schedule. This could affect the body’s biological clock as the normal sleeping pattern are lost.
Anemia
Lack of iron supplements could lead to lethargic symptoms and low blood pressure. When the blood does not receive enough minerals it weakens the body’s health defense.
Gall Bladder problems
Gall bladder problems may develop due to a lack of exercise from sitting all the time while working. Obesity and indigestion from upset stomach and failure to pass gas often due to constipation due to tight working schedule time. Some may forget or control their elimination when the call of duty persists duly affecting the liver. In severe cases, it may require the removal of the gall bladder.
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