Trapped
Oh, man. My shoulder and neck feel like someone’s in there with a medaeval torture rack, stretching them in directions they’re just not supposed to go. My shoulders have been shot to pieces for a while — probably since I left CompuServe, where in 1999 all staff, including contractors like me, received a weekly back, shoulders, arms and hands massage. I always thought that it was a very enlightened approach to the issue of staff health; I’ve never come across it anywhere else, which is a shame. On top of that, the chairs in the Hammersmith office of AOL/CompuServe were excellent: either Herman Miller Aerons or very good look-a-likes. Having said that, I only worked there for three months. I’ve been in this job for over two years.
I know my posture isn’t the best it could be, but I’m constrained (I think) by my circumstances — bog-standard office chair, my height (5’6”), the fixed height of my desk etc. The biggest difference (for me) would be a regular massage. I’ve mentioned it in department meetings before, but it gets treated as a ‘blue sky’ idea. OK — the budget is a bit constrained, but how important is the health of a company’s workers?
I’ve taken a couple of painkillers, but I really need to get my shoulders sorted out.