Common Illnesses of Call Center Agents

Being a call center agent is no easy job. You get to stay on the phones ready to answer calls that are coming in up to several hours a day. As with most big companies, customer support departments may operate 24/7 and thus, there should always be agents day and night to assist the callers. In this type of job, there are some common illnesses that agents seem to suffer from in relation to their work. Most companies do have their in-house clinics with nurses and doctors to attend to the employees. As a call center agent myself, let me share some of them based on my own observation.

Talking over the phone for hours can put some hurt on your throat especially if it's the day of the year when calls flood the queue round-the-clock. Sore throat is probably the most common illness in this industry. And sometimes, loss of voice comes along with it. Agents are usually asked to rest and refrain from speaking for a few minutes to over an hour but if the condition is severe, the agent may be asked to rest at home or visit the hospital or a specialist.

Taking in calls can be really taxing at times especially when the callers do not cooperate. Agents tend to have muscle pains, regular headaches and to some, their migraines are triggered. A pain reliever such as ibuprofen usually works in a few minutes then the agent could just go right back into action. This also includes uncomfortable sensations due to the fact that they're sitting all day long aside from their breaks.

Illnesses that usually relate to lifestyle is also common such as hypertension, asthma, diabetes can also be triggered especially if the agents have irregular schedules such as constant shift changes between day and night. And almost all of them are triggered by work-related stress.

Vices are also common especially drinking and smoking and amidst the irregularity of schedules (which usually results in lack of proper rest and sleep coupled with difficulty in planning meals), many agents acquire illnesses such as the ones mentioned above.

Sometimes, severe illnesses may occur in the office. Due to hypertension or very high stress levels, an agent may suffer from a stroke or a heart attack. This also holds true to people who have neurological conditions such as epilepsy. These attacks can happen anytime so make sure you research well about these illnesses and their early warning signs. If you have a company doctor or nurse, seek advice regularly.

The good thing is that a lot of companies with customer support departments usually have health insurance for their employees. It takes a lot for the agents to do their jobs while adjusting their lifestyle so this is actually one of the best things a company can offer.

So if you are among the call center agents who does have shifting schedules and long working hours (around 40 hours a week) or as long as you're a phone representative, take care of yourselves so you could perform well at work. I know it's hard to remove vices. I've been there but with enough motivation, you can definitely remove them. Now, I'm pretty sure I'm in a much healthier lifestyle at work and with constant exercise and diet and relief from high stress, I'm doing well.

It's also best to monitor your physical condition from time to time. You may be fine during your first few days or weeks but as the months and years pass by, your health may deteriorate due to constant exposure to stressful workloads. Visit your doctor regularly for routine check ups. Modify your lifestyle and always implement healthy living everyday. As a lot of people would agree, prevention is the best cure.