Navigating the Digital Shift: Ergonomic Adaptations and Occupational Well-Being of Zimbabwean University Educators Post-Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented disruption in the higher education sector, compelling university educators in Zimbabwe to rapidly shift from conventional face-to-face teaching to remote digital instruction. This abrupt transition reshaped work arrangements and introduced new patterns of occupational health that required systematic evaluation. Although remote and blended learning enhanced flexibility and improved access to educational resources, the shift also presented notable ergonomic challenges. Many educators were forced to improvise home-based workstations that fell short of recommended ergonomic standards, resulting in discomfort, musculoskeletal strain, and broader risks to occupational well-being.
This study sought to investigate the ergonomic and occupational health challenges experienced by Zimbabwean university educators post COVID-19 lockdowns, while also identifying institutional strategies implemented to support remote work and minimise ergonomic risks. A descriptive research design was utilised. Primary data were collected through interviews and questionnaires, whereas secondary data were drawn from scholarly publications, institutional websites, and other online sources. Chain referral sampling was employed to reach educators working from home across various universities. Findings reveal a significant uptake of digital teaching platforms, demonstrating adaptability and resilience among educators. However, the results also highlight a lack of adequate ergonomic adjustments within home-based work environments, contributing to increased musculoskeletal discomfort and a heightened risk of long-term health complications. Furthermore, limited institutional support in providing ergonomic equipment and formal guidelines exacerbated these challenges. The study underscores the need for universities to develop comprehensive ergonomic policies, supply adjustable workstations, and offer continuous training to promote safe and healthy remote working conditions. Strengthening ergonomic support systems is vital for sustaining educator well-being and enhancing productivity within the evolving landscape of blended and digital teaching.

Digital shift, ergonomics, remote work, occupational safety and health

1. Ahmed, S., Qamar, F., & Soomro, S. A. (2022). Ergonomic work from home and occupational health problems amid COVID-19. Human Systems Management 41 (2022) 535–551 DOI 10.3233/HSM-211548 IOS Press [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Alavi, S. S., Makarem, J., & Mehrdad, R. (2021). Effects of computer-based break reminders on musculoskeletal discomfort and visual strain among computer users. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 27(4), 1234–1243. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Atmowardoyo, H. (2018). Research methods in TEFL studies: Descriptive research, case study, error analysis. [Publisher not specified]. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Awada, M., Lucas, G., Becerik-Gerber, B., & Roll, S. C. (2021). Working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic: Impact on office worker productivity and work experience. Work, 69(4), 1171–1189. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-210494 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Biernacki, P., & Waldorf, D. (1981). Snowball sampling: Problems and techniques of chain referral sampling. Sociological Methods & Research, 10(2), 141–163. https://doi.org/10.1177/004912418101000205 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Bouziri, H., Smith, D. R., Descatha, A., Dab, W., & Jean, K. (2022). Working from home in the time of COVID-19: How is it affecting occupational health? BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 23(1), 509. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-022-05704-z [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Chung, J. W., Wong, T. K., & Choi, M. M. (2020). The impact of sit–stand workstations on musculoskeletal discomfort: A systematic review. Applied Ergonomics, 82, 102918. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Dietz, W. H., Douglas, C. E., & Brownson, R. C. (2016). Chronic disease prevention: Tobacco avoidance, physical activity, and nutrition for a healthy start. JAMA, 316(16), 1645–1646. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2016.14370 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Gao, Y., Li, J., & Zhang, H. (2022). Reducing sedentary behaviour in academic staff: Effects of height-adjustable desks on posture and productivity. Journal of Ergonomics, 12(2), 45–58. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Garcia, M., Wendel, M. L., & Pearson, J. (2020). Ergonomics of lecturing environments: Impacts of adjustable teaching stations on posture and comfort. Human Factors, 62(7), 1065–1076. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Hakansson, E., & Bjarnason, E. (2020). Including human factors and ergonomics in requirements engineering for digital work environments. In 2020 IEEE First International Workshop on Requirements Engineering for Well Being, Aging, and Health (REWBAH) (pp. 22–25). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/REWBAH51211.2020.00010 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Hartvigsen, J., Natvig, B., & Ferreira, M. (2013). Is it all about a pain in the back? Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology, 27(5), 613–623. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.berh.2013.09.008 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. International Ergonomics Association (IEA). (2023). What is ergonomics? https://iea.cc/what-is-ergonomics [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. International Labour Organization (ILO). (2020). Teleworking during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Geneva: ILO. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. ISO. (2018). ISO 45001:2018 – Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use. International Organization for Standardization. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Johnson, D., & Brown, P. (2019). Digital assessment tools and educator well-being: Reducing repetitive strain in higher education. Computers & Education, 142, 103643. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Kniffin, K. M., Narayanan, J., Ansel, F., Antonakis, J., Ashford, S. P., Bakker, A. B., Vugt, M. V. (2021). COVID-19 and the workplace: Implications, issues, and insights for future research and action. American Psychologist, 76(1), 63–77. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000716 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Mlambo, T., Chirubvi, C., & Muteti, S. (2014). Ergonomic compliance: A pilot study of one faculty at a Zimbabwean academic institution. Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies, 5(3), 350–356. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Molino, M., Ingusci, E., Signore, F., Manuti, A., Giancaspro, M. L., & Russo, V. (2020). Wellbeing costs of technology use during COVID-19 remote working: An investigation using the Italian translation of the Technostress Creators Scale. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 597–799. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.597799 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Moretti, A., Menna, F., Aulicino, M., Paoletta, M., Liguori, S., & Iolascon, G. (2022). Characterization of home working population during COVID-19 emergency: A cross-sectional analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1610. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031610 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Muvingi, M., & Mugadza, C. (2023). The accident prevention and workers’ compensation scheme in Zimbabwe. https://www.mmmlawfirm.co.zw/the-accident-prevention-and-workers-compensation-scheme-in-zimbabwe [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. National Occupational Safety and Health Policy (Revision No. 1). (2021). Government of Zimbabwe. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Niciejewska, M. (2022). The impact of remote work of university teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic on occupational health and safety with a focus on psychological and musculoskeletal well-being. Sustainability, 14(2), 911. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020911 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Oakman, J., & Kinsman, N. (2021). Remote work risk management during COVID-19: Implications for musculoskeletal health in educators. Safety Science, 139, 105275. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Oakman, J., & Kinsman, N. (2022). Remote working and health: Current evidence and implications. International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 15(2), 121–138. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-03-2021-0063 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Oakman, J., Kinsman, N., Stuckey, R., Graham, M., & Weale, V. (2020). A rapid review of mental and physical health effects of working at home: How do we optimise health? BMC Public Health, 20, 1825. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09875-z [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Paigude, S., Pangarkar, S. C., Mahajan, R. A., Jadhav, P. V., Shirkande, S. T., & Shelke, N. (2023). Occupational health in the digital age: Implications for remote work environments. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 29(3), 500–512. https://doi.org/10.1080/10803548.2023.2176059 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Penrod, J., Preston, D. B., Cain, R. E., & Starks, M. T. (2003). A discussion of chain referral as a method of sampling hard-to-reach populations. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 14(2), 100–107. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043659602250614 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Popma, J. (2021). The Janus face of the “new ways of work”: Rise, risks and regulation of nomadic work. European Labour Law Journal, 12(2), 103–124. https://doi.org/10.1177/20319525211012296 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Robertson, M. M., Ciriello, V. M., & Garabet, A. M. (2017). Office ergonomics training and a sit–stand workstation: Reducing musculoskeletal and visual symptoms. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 59(12), 1087–1093. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Sadler, G. R., Lee, H. C., Lim, R. S. H., & Fullerton, J. (2010). Recruitment of hard‐to‐reach population subgroups via adaptations of the snowball sampling strategy. Nursing & Health Sciences, 12(3), 369–374. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-2018.2010.00541.x [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Sekaran, U., & Bougie, R. (2019). Research methods for business: A skill-building approach (8th ed.). John Wiley & Sons. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Tahernejad, S., Choobineh, A., Razeghi, M., Abdoli-Eramaki, M., Parsaei, H., & Daneshmandi, H. (2021). Investigation of office workers’ sitting behaviors in an ergonomically adjusted workstation. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 27(3), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/10803548.2021.1922943 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Thakur, S., Alvarado, M., & Ross, J. (2021). Effects of micro-breaks on fatigue and postural stress in teaching professionals. Occupational Medicine, 71(6), 278–285. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Toscano, F., & Zappalà, S. (2020). Social isolation and stress as predictors of productivity perception and remote work satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sustainability, 12(23), 9804. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12239804 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. Van der Zee-Neuen, A., Putrik, P., Ramiro, S., Keszei, A., de Bie, R., & Chorus, A. (2016). Impact of chronic diseases and multimorbidity on health and health care costs: The additional role of musculoskeletal disorders. Arthritis Care & Research, 68(12), 1823–1830. https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.22906 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Williams, A., Kamper, S. J., Wiggers, J. H., O’Brien, K. M., Lee, H., Wolfenden, L., Yoong, S. L., Robson, E., McAuley, J. H., Hartvigsen, J., & Williams, C. M. (2018). Musculoskeletal conditions may increase the risk of chronic disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. BMC Medicine, 16, 167. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-018-1151-2 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. World Health Organization (WHO). (2021). Occupational health: A manual for primary health care workers. Geneva: WHO. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

39. World Health Organization (WHO). (2024). Addressing musculoskeletal conditions: An opportunity for health systems globally. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Migrant Health in Morocco: Between Law and Reality
• CaknaMinda: An Educator-Centred Mobile App for Early Screening of Mental Health and Schizophrenia Risks
• Health System and Nursing Strategies for Enhancing Male Participation in Family Planning: Evidence from Tema General Hospital, Ghana.
• From Īśvara-Praṇidhāna to Parā-Bhakti: Convergent Paths of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga and Bhakti Yoga
• Evidence-Based Psycho-Oncological Interventions: A Multimodal Approach to Supportive Care