Millennials are often regarded as being a "different" workforce. However, each generationhas had its own quirks.

Boomers are seen as the long-haired,rebellious hippies of the '60s who wanted to challenge the statusquo and sometimes still do. They've historically been the largestgeneration in the workforce, but that dominance no longerholds.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, millennials (age 18-34)surpassed the baby boom generation in 2015 by having 75.3 millionmove into the workforce. Moreover, their numbers are expected topeak at 81.1 million in 2036.

New-world habits can be hard tobreak

Millennials have grown up in world where technology ispervasive and is moving more and more to mobile devices. Thedownside is mobile technology enables them to use their devicesbasically anywhere from the kitchen counter or dining table to inbed or on the couch while gaming or interacting on social media –yet rarely at a workstation. As a result, they've lived anddeveloped poor, slouching posture ever since they were old enoughto turn on the device. 

The fundamental concern with new millennial workers is that what may seem normalto them is in reality a high-risk posture that's simply not goodfor them. We typically tell employees to let comfort be theirguide, but this guideline doesn't apply withmillennials. Unfortunately, they are now accustomed topoor posture, and a new posture at the workplace can feel awkward.That's why education on ergonomics becomes so essential.

Related: Harris Poll finds growing interest about insurancebrands from millennials

But a "because I said so" attitude from the employer doesn'twork when trying to have millennials pay attention to theirposture. They need information to understand and accept why it'simportant. The usual risk factors for injury have not changed. It'sthe omnipresent exposure to technology that's new.

One of the big changes with millennials is the fadeout ofold-school touch typing. Business typing,and even computer keyboarding, are not taught inschools as much anymore. That leads to a hunt-and-peck method,forcing users to type with their head down for extended periods oftime, which can become painful.

Among millennials' greatest strengths are their ability towork together in groups or teams, and to effectively utilizetechnology. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Understand intrinsic needs

Other common millennials traits to address include:

Feedback. More than any other, the millennialgeneration craves feedback. In contrast, boomers are used to annualperformance evaluations. But millennials need it much morefrequently. So schedule monthly visits with new hires for the firstfew months and ask them about their workstation setup. You'llconnect with them and can gauge how they're doing. Keep in mindthat their parents were very attentive to their "specialness," andthey may expect that from their bosses. Take the time tolisten.

Immediate satisfaction. Technology in the palmof a millennial's hand allows immediate answers to life'squestions. In terms of ergonomics, offer a selection of devices,keyboards, mice, monitor stands, etc., that they can try outimmediately. Most ergonomic equipment offers a free trial period.Make sure your vendors respond quickly to purchase orders so youcan deliver quickly on your equipment recommendations.

What's new? It's a very tech-savvy group thatloves having the latest and greatest devices. Stay on top of newergonomic equipment coming out and the research behind it. A greatresource is the annual National Ergonomics Conference that hashundreds of vendors and products on display.

Capitalize on their strengths

That said, millennials do bring many strengths to the workforce. For example, havingworked in classroom groups or teams, they assimilate well withindepartments and when working on team assignments. A highfamiliarity with technology enables them to understand and acceptonline types of training more readily. They also accept thattechnology changes frequently and applaud upgrades and new systemsthey can discover. In other words, where boomers had to adapt totechnology, millennials were born into it and embraceit. 

Related: Thinking millennial: How to woo the largestgeneration

They are also a very creative group and can bring excitement tothe workforce by asking, "Why do we do it that way?" So it makessense to listen to and consider their ideas for making workprocesses smoother. Another tremendous characteristic millennialsexhibit is a strong civic mindedness in wanting to do the rightthing, for the right reasons and build a better world. That driveis excellent news since, as employees, they believe in giving backto communities which can enhance the organization's brandimage.

Since they are so used to working on technology fromanywhere, millennials may not understand the benefits to goodergonomic practices. (Photo: Shutterstock) 

Implement safety and wellnessstrategies

What's important is to address ergonomics, safety and wellness upfront in the onboarding process for new hires. And the sooner, thebetter, before bad habits set in. Since millennials began earlywith terrible technology-based behaviors, they've gotten used tothem. In fact, many are coming into the workforce with levels ofpre-MSD (musculoskeletal) injury that most employees don'texperience until after 10 or 20 years on the job. 

Related: 10 reasons why an insurance career is great formillennials

After-work activities must be addressed as well. According toCommon Sense Media (2015), the average teen logs nine hours eachday on his or her device. Add that time to their new job working ona computer, and it's a "claim-ready" situation.

Some proactive strategies to consider include:

Wellness. Ergonomics should become afundamental aspect of your wellness program andvice-versa. That's because although a healthy employeestill can become injured, their recovery time will be quicker.

Onboarding. Make ergonomics, safety andwellness an integral element in new hire orientation. Forexample, the longer it takes to help them set up their workstation,the longer their bad habits will solidify and affect yourorganization.

Involve IT. This means training your IT team onproper workstation set up when delivering a computer, mouse andkeyboard for a new employee. Do not wait until a millennialcomplains of pain before addressing proper ergonomics.

Purchasing. Keep your purchasing department upto speed with well-proven ergonomic solutions. Don't ever allowemployees to simply buy what they think they need. Not all productsdisplaying an "ergo" label are valid.

Online training. It's the preferredlearning method for millennials. They often find classroom-styletraining to be boring and frustrating to them, which can easilyturn them off. Their brains move faster than other generations ofworkers, constantly striving for new, readily-accessibleinformation. They move quickly from screen to screen, often withloud music or other media in the background. As trainerson ergonomics, safety and wellness, we need to jazz up theexperience to appeal to this faster-paced generation. Onlineergonomics training works well to help triage and prevent problemssooner rather than later.

Mobile technology has made it much easier to work around theclock, but companies should still encourage workers to utilize goodergonomic practices at home as well. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Discuss after-hours activities

In the past, bringing work home was rare, as was becomingconsumed with technology after work (e.g., Facebook, Messaging,Instagram, Solitaire, Candy Crush Saga). In the days of pre-mobiletechnology, people mowed the lawn, puttered around the house andtalked to each other, eye-to-eye after work. Today, millennialstend to get home and play games for hours on end.

Related: Workers' Compensation: 10 issues to watch for2017

For all of us, the boundaries between work and home are moreblurred than ever because it's easy to review work emails andprojects at home, on our handheld devices. This is an importantphenomenon because it makes it harder to determine where the injuryactually occurred. It's crucial to talk to millennial workers aboutwhat they do at home and how they can create a safer and morecomfortable environment to prevent injuries.

Share the ergo love

Also remember that millennials grew up in an "everybody gets atrophy" world. If you provide an ergonomics evaluation toone individual, you should be prepared to help everyone else inthat immediate work area. If an employee claim results in asecondary gain like a new sit/stand workstation, better keyboard,new mouse or new chair, you may encounter a case of "ergo envy"with others putting in claims just to get new equipment. So sharethe ergo love around the office and take the time to adjustmonitors and chairs. Let everyone know they're important.

Kathy Espinoza ([email protected]), MBA, MS, CPE, CIE, is aboard-certified professional ergonomist. She is assistant vicepresident, ergonomics and safety, for Keenan and has worked withthe firm for 14 years providing workstation assessments, solutionsand employee training. She has more than 12 years of experience asthe coordinator and instructor of chronic back pain and wellnessprograms for a major hospital. She has published 62 articles in thefield of ergonomics, safety and workplace issues.