Call Centre Environments

By 2002 there will be more people working in call centres in the UK than there will be teachers and farmers put together, according recent government guidelines. It is estimated that between 1% and 1.7% of the total UK workforce is employed in call centres - more than the combined workforce of coal mining, steel and vehicle production - and a continued expansion is predicted to over 2% in the next two to three years.

But call centre environments continue to receive largely bad publicity. Call centres are associated with strict performance targets, poor working conditions and constant staff surveillance. The result has often been a stressed workforce and a high staff turnover.

Facilities managers and employers who are responsible for call centres, or any sort of call handling environments, need to pay close attention to the new national standards for best practice.

The standards are published by the Call Centre Association (CCA) and, although they are not legally binding, failure to meet these standards could establish an employer’s liability in case of a prosecution. The CCA Standards are quite general in nature, and concentrate on the following areas:

staff, communication, culture, and legislation.

What is a call centre?

There are various definitions of what constitutes a call centre. This article applies to facilities managers and employers who have responsibility for:

• a work environment in which the main business is conducted via the telephone whilst simultaneously using display screen equipment (commonly a computer monitor). This includes parts of organisations dedicated to this activity - such as internal helplines; or

• an employee whose job requires them to spend a significant proportion of their working time responding to calls on the telephone whilst simultaneously using display screen equipment.

1. Staff

The new standards require that employees at all levels are given mandatory training and development to support them in their role.

The training process will probably need to include some sort of call-monitoring by the team leader or supervisor. Workplace monitoring is currently a legal minefield, and facilities managers are receiving conflicting messages from the Human Rights Act, the Data Protection Act and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. This is covered in more detail in the Data Protection panel.

As well as this, the induction should include health and safety training - with particular concentration on the Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992 (DSE), and the avoidance of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

2. Communication within the call centre

Under the new standards, facilities managers should ensure that:

• processes are in place to gather employees’ views and take appropriate action; and

• a documented process is available to resolve disputes among employees or between employees and management.

See the guide to Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures for more information.

3. Culture

Call centres are associated with strict performance targets, and the new standards require employers to tackle performance management in a more balanced way. Call centre managers should also recognise that other factors - including IT systems, the effectiveness of business processes, and the physical work environment - can have much bigger impacts on call centre performance than operational objectives alone.

4. Policies and legislation affecting your operation

A major requirement of the new standards is that a process must be in place to ensure that developing legislative requirements are brought to the attention of management.

Employers and facilities managers must be trained in the application of current legislation and must apply it.

Additionally, the standards specify that all employees must be made aware of the requirements of the Data Protection Act.

The Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992

Excellent display screen equipment ( DSE ) working practices are essential in call centres, as the vast majority of call handlers would be unable to do their job without a computer, and full time employees spend up to eight hours a day in front of a computer screen.

However, these may be of limited validity as `hot-desking` is a common working practice in call centres. Call handlers may sit at any work station within their team area(usually ten to twelve work stations ), and sometimes, the whole team moves to another area in the call center. Different shifts may also use the same team area. In large call centres, completing a DSE assessment for each call handler generates a lot of paperwork.

Working environment

A good turnover of air is important as call centres have a high concentration of computers. The heat generated by them dries the air as well as raising the temperature.

Most people prefer to be in an environment with some natural light, though often windows in call centres are covered by blinds to reduce glare.

Research suggests that lighting levels that are slightly lower than daylight are more comfortable on the eyes than some types of artificial lighting, and the frequency spectrum of the light source should also be considered as some are easier on the eyes than others. Lighting requirements may differ depending on whether call handlers are only operating DSE or whether they have to consult and complete paperwork too.

Daily work routine of users

All the line managers interviewed in recent initial small scale HSL research acknowledged that a call handler’s job could be monotonous and realised that call handlers take sick leave as an escape. Improving job design of call handling would require a fundamental re-organisation of the business, but the benefits, in terms of reduced sickness and turnover, increased productivity and improved staff morale and, ultimately, in terms of the bottom line, are potentially huge.

Focusing at one distance for extended periods, as call handlers do, can cause eyestrain and headaches especially when working under pressure.

Frequent breaks of sufficient length would mean the eyes could focus at a different distance and be given the chance to rest. The risk of dulled hearing and tinnitus may also be reduced by giving the ears a break from the headsets.

Hearing

The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) and TUC commissioned the Labour Research Council to conduct a small-sample survey of noise-induced hearing loss in a variety of workplaces, including call centres.

Call centre workers reported that they are subjected to both acute intense noises and also prolonged high levels of sound through their headset. They felt that these noises caused either or both dulled hearing and tinnitus (hearing noises without an external source). Some reported experiencing these symptoms for only short periods after finishing work, whilst others reported permanent impairment or discomfort.

The HSE rule of thumb is used to assess noise levels: if a conversation can be conducted between two people standing two metres apart without either having to raise their voice, then the background noise level is acceptable. There were no reports during the HSE study of intolerably loud noises through headsets or of hearing loss, but the HSE acknowledges the RNID/TUC call for more research and is currently undertaking an in depth study with results due in 2001. Hearing tests may be appropriate to ensure that new staff do not have an undetected hearing impairment that may be exacerbated by intensive telephone use. Hearing tests at induction will also provide baseline data for reference at a later date if an individual complains about their hearing.

Voice loss

Voice loss or dysphonia is not just the inability to speak. It also includes pain, tension, croakiness, irritative cough, inability to modulate, poor or no vocal power and breathing difficulties. Call handlers could be at a higher risk of voice loss than employees in ordinary offices as their job requires them to speak on the telephone for extended periods without regular breaks. Call centre employees should be made aware of the risk of dysphonia, be able to recognise the symptoms and be trained to take preventative action such as drinking water rather than tea or coffee and stretching the neck and shoulders to relieve tension.

Data Protection Act 1998

The new standards require that all employees are made aware of the requirements of the Data Protection Act. The Data Protection Act 1998 came into force in March 2000, replacing the old 1984 Act. The Act requires processing of data to be fair and lawful and imposes quality obligations to ensure, for example, that personal data are kept accurate and up-to-date.

Individuals have the right to obtain a copy of the information held about them, and can demand a stop to processing likely to cause them or others substantial and unwarranted damage or distress. Individuals can sue in the courts for a breach of the Act causing them damage.

Facilities managers should make sure that their data processing complies with the eight data protection principles. The importance of the need for accuracy and confidentiality in data processing should be impressed upon employees to avoid potential liability on the employer.

Employee monitoring

Call centre managers frequently monitor employees as part of staff training procedures or to check that call handlers are giving customers correct information - as there are often legal implications if this information is incorrect. Articles in the press have argued that such intensive monitoring causes stress and is an unacceptable working regime. The HSE research does not confirm this view - but employers should be careful to be supportive and to discuss performance data privately.

Monitoring of employees’ phone calls will only fall under the Data Protection Act if the calls are recorded or if some kind of automated equipment is used. Nevertheless, employees should be aware that the monitoring is taking place and, importantly, the purpose that it is intended to achieve.

The information gathered can only be used for the purpose it was intended -for example, a call monitored at a call centre for marketing reasons cannot then be the basis for disciplinary action. Generally, call monitoring at a call centre should be justifiable as there are clear business purposes.

Employers should consider providing access to private telephones that workers know will not be monitored or recorded.

More information

Facilities managers who have responsibility for a call center environment or for call handlers should obtain a copy of the standards and review current procedures in the light of the standards. The standards are available from the Call Centre Association online. or by calling (0141) 564 9010.

The government has also published guidance for public sector call centres - which is also applicable for the private sector. The guidance has been published since the HSE research into call centre health and safety, and is available from online from or by calling (020) 7270 0317.

The health and safety advice in this article is based upon a report - ‘Initial Advice Regarding Call Centre Working Practices’ November 1999, LAC 94/1 - issued jointly by the HSE and Local Authorities in November 1999. Copies of the report are available from theHSE on (020) 7717 6000.
This document is for general guidance and research purposes only, and does not purport to give professional advice. Please check the date at the top of the article; the Workplace Law Network retains historic articles for general research.