OE Group

03/09/2026

The First Conversation Is the Hardest Part

It’s hard to see the wood for the trees when you’re the one being chopped down.

When you’re struggling at work, back pain, sleepless nights, poor concentration and exhaustion can each feel like a separate problem. Seeing the connections between them, and knowing where to start, is much harder.

That’s why the third and final article in our Mental Health Awareness series turns to the employee: what support can you ask for, who do you speak to and what happens next?

For The First Conversation, we spoke to Nancy Monk, an occupational health specialist with seventeen years and over 6,000 workplace assessments behind her. Her experience makes one thing clear: the split between physical and mental health rarely survives contact with an actual workplace.

Nancy told us about an employee referred for worsening lower back pain. During his assessment, it emerged that he wasn’t sleeping, his concentration had gone, he was caring for a parent with early-stage dementia and, following a restructure, covering a colleague’s workload.

The recommendations addressed the whole picture, from better ergonomic support to changes in his working day. Three months later, his pain had eased, he was sleeping better and his concentration had improved.

That’s where a Workplace Needs Assessment can help. It looks beyond a single condition to understand what is preventing someone from functioning well at work and what could remove those barriers.

Read the full article: The First Conversation: How to Get Support at Work https://www.online-ergonomics.co.uk/knowledge/the-first-conversation/

Need Support at work: Get a Workplace Needs Assessment https://www.online-ergonomics.co.uk/assessments/workplace%20needs-assessment-wpna/

31/08/2026

Your laptop keyboard is not the problem. Your screen is. And it is sitting about 20 centimetres too low.

Mark Rigby explains why the laptop screen, not the keyboard, is the root cause of neck and back strain during sustained laptop use, and how raising it to eye level solves the problem. The Aluminium Laptop Riser offers two height settings in a foldable, portable 500g design. Suitable for screens 11 to 17 inches.

27/08/2026

5,000 years of civilisation. Countless inventions. But we’re still gripping a stick to write with.

Surely we can do better?

Meet PenAgain. The pen, reinvented for anyone who finds gripping a conventional pen uncomfortable or difficult.

Less grip. Less strain. More comfortable writing.

21/08/2026

POV: New term. New pens. Same old hand cramp by page two😩✋

Here's why: ordinary pens make you grip tight the whole time just to keep them steady. Do that for page after page of notes and your hand can get tired pretty quickly.

The PenAgain doesn't need the death grip. It's shaped like a rocket and hooks around your finger, so it basically holds itself steady. You just guide it.

Less gripping = less cramp = you actually finish the page.

Also it looks cooler than whatever's rolling around the bottom of your bag.

Nominated by the Smithsonian for reinventing the pen. No pressure.

✍️ Want one in your pencil case? Find the PenAgain on our website.

19/08/2026

Tingling fingers? Numbness? Weakness in your hand or difficulty gripping everyday objects?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can affect far more than typing and mouse use. Even something as ordinary as holding a pen can become uncomfortable.

It's one of the most common work-related conditions in the UK, affecting up to 16% of the population, and it doesn't stop at office workers. Hairdressers, tradespeople using vibrating tools, musicians and assembly line staff are all at risk, and it's three times more common in women than men.

Many of the workplace risk factors for CTS can be reduced. We're revisiting one of our most-read pieces on CTS, covering what causes it, how to recognise the early signs, and the ergonomic adjustments that help reduce unnecessary strain on the hands and wrists.

Read the full article to learn more → https://www.online-ergonomics.co.uk/knowledge/carpal-tunnel-syndrome-causes-symptoms-prevention/

Tingling, pain or numbness in your hands? Learn what causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and the practical ways to prevent lasting nerve damage.

17/08/2026

Make a wish. ✨

If it was for a pen you don’t have to grip tightly, you’re in luck.

The PenAgain Ergo-Sof has a patented wishbone design that hooks around your index finger, so your hand's own weight does the work, not your grip.
Same three fingers. Same writing style. Just no gripping tight enough to hurt.

Genuinely useful if carpal tunnel syndrome, RSI, arthritis, Parkinson's, Raynaud's, fibromyalgia or writer's cramp make ordinary pens a chore.

Low tech. High impact. Nominated by the Smithsonian for reinventing the pen.

It's shaped like a wishbone. The ergonomics, however, are anything but wishful thinking.

▶️ See how the PenAgain works and watch the full video on our YouTube channel.

✍️ Ready to give your grip a break? Explore the PenAgain Ergo-Sof: https://www.online-ergonomics.co.uk/product/penagain-ergo-sof-ball-pen/