May the (Work)Force Be With You: A Participatory Ergonomics Special

The OSHA Deadline That Doesn't Exist: What Every Employer and Ergonomics Professional Needs to Know About Remote Work Ergonomics

Something has been circulating in our industry, and it's causing real problems for employers and for ergonomics professionals who are trying to build credible practices around genuine client needs. There are articles claiming that employers face a December 2026 OSHA deadline to complete home office ergonomic audits under a new remote work framework. In this episode, Darcie Jaremey digs into where that claim is actually coming from, why it's flat-out false, and what the real regulatory picture looks like for remote worker ergonomics. The short answer: there is no deadline. OSHA's position on home offices has not changed since 2000. But the real obligations employers do have around recordkeeping, workers' compensation, and accommodation law are significant, and the injury data alone makes the case for action without any manufactured urgency attached to it. What you'll take away: * Why the December 2026 OSHA deadline is fabricated and who benefits from spreading it * OSHA's actual formal guidance on home office inspections, quoted directly from the source * The General Duty Clause: what it is, what it requires, and why it applies regardless of where work happens * The three real employer obligations that do apply to remote workers right now: recordkeeping under 29 CFR Part 1904, workers' comp exposure, and ADA accommodation law * Why a chair purchase is not an ergonomic assessment, and why that matters for both employers and consultants * What a real remote ergonomics program actually looks like 61.2% of home-based workers report musculoskeletal discomfort from their home setup. That number is documented, real, and more than enough to justify action. No fake deadline required. Want to build an ergonomics practice that gives clients the accurate picture and earns their trust? That's exactly what Accelerate: The Business of Ergonomics [https://www.ergonomicshelp.com/accelerate]is built for. Accelerate gives you the training, tools, and coaching to attract corporate clients, charge what you're worth, and build a practice you're proud of. You'll get monthly live coaching with Darcie, a curated equipment database, done-for-you content and swipe copy, business growth modules, and a community of ergonomics professionals doing the same work you are. Join at ergonomicshelp.com/accelerate [https://www.ergonomicshelp.com/accelerate] Resources mentioned: * Accelerate: The Business of Ergonomics: ergonomicshelp.com/accelerate * OSHA Formal Guidance on Home Offices (1999): osha.gov * OSHA Injury Cost Estimator: osha.gov If you're a healthcare professional and this episode got your wheels turning about office ergonomics - good. I've got free resources to help you take the next step at ergonomicshelp.com/resources.  [https://www.ergonomicshelp.com/resources]

Why Relying on AI for Ergonomics Assessments Is a Risk You Can't Afford to Take

AI tools are everywhere right now, and the ergonomics world is not immune to the hype. Some healthcare professionals are already looking to AI to do their assessments, generate their reports, and identify ergonomic risk on their behalf. And Darcie Jaremey has something to say about that.  In this episode, Darcie makes a clear, direct argument: if you are relying on an AI tool to replace your clinical judgment in an ergonomics assessment, you are putting your clients, your reputation, and your business at serious risk. A one-size-fits-all AI report will not capture the intricacies of a specific workstation, cannot perform a true root cause analysis, and cannot defend you if a client is harmed and the matter goes to litigation. But this is not an anti-AI episode. Darcie also covers exactly where AI belongs in an ergonomics practice: as an efficiency tool on the front end of report writing, never as a replacement for your expertise. What you'll take away: * Why office ergonomics is in-demand right now and why your expertise is the thing businesses actually need * The real risk of outsourcing your assessment thinking to a tool you don't control * What happens to your client data when you put it into a third-party AI platform * Why the details in your report are the exact thing clients can't replicate themselves * The three tools inside Accelerate that add efficiency without replacing judgment: the swipe file, the equipment database, and the PHI redactor •       Why mentorship beats AI every time when you're building your ergonomics foundation  If you've been wondering whether AI could shortcut the process of learning to do ergonomics assessments well, this episode will give you a straight answer.  Resources mentioned in this episode: * Ergonomics Blueprint (learn how to do office ergonomics assessments): ergonomicshelp.com * Accelerate: The Business of Ergonomics (membership with tools, mentorship, and community): ergonomicshelp.com/biz * OSHA Injury Cost Estimator: osha.gov If you're a healthcare professional and this episode got your wheels turning about office ergonomics - good. I've got free resources to help you take the next step at ergonomicshelp.com/resources.  [https://www.ergonomicshelp.com/resources]

Why Starting Small Is the Key to Success in Ergonomics Consulting (And the 90-Day Plan That Makes It Real)

Most healthcare professionals who dream of building an ergonomics practice don't fail because they lack skill. They fail because they never had a plan broken down into pieces small enough to actually act on. In this episode, Darcie shares the single tool that has kept her on track more consistently than anything else in building her own business: the 90-Day Goal and Action Plan. It's not complicated. But it works, and in this episode you'll find out exactly why. You'll also hear the honest truth about what gets in the way when healthcare professionals try to launch ergonomics services, why consistency beats intensity every time, and how to reverse-engineer a real income goal so you're never guessing what to do next.   What you'll take away from this episode: •       Why starting small is not a compromise, it's the actual strategy •       The three types of goals you need: safe, hairy scary, and baseline •       How to break a $100k/year goal into a $270/day action plan •       The minimum viable service for ergonomics consultants, and why it's not a website •       Learn-Execute-Learn: the loop that builds skill and business at the same time •       Affinity marketing and why it beats cold calling every time in this field •       Why the comparison trap kills momentum faster than anything else •       The step-by-step 90-day reverse engineering process you can use today •       The honest take on AI and why there are no shortcuts in ergonomics assessment Whether you're thinking about ergonomics as a side hustle, a part-time pivot, or a full-time business, this episode gives you the framework to stop waiting and start moving. Want to go deeper with mentorship, tools, and a community of ergonomics professionals building their practices together? Learn more about Accelerate: The Business of Ergonomics at ergonomicshelp.com/biz If you're a healthcare professional and this episode got your wheels turning about office ergonomics - good. I've got free resources to help you take the next step at ergonomicshelp.com/resources.  [https://www.ergonomicshelp.com/resources]

The Certification Trap: What No Ergonomics Course Taught You About Actually Building a Business

Ergonomics is not a regulated health profession. You do not need a license to do office ergonomics assessments. And yet there are healthcare professionals all over the world sitting on the sidelines, waiting for a certification that, in most jurisdictions, the law doesn't actually require. That waiting is costing them time, clients, and income they could already be generating. In this episode, we have an honest conversation about the gap that nobody in the ergonomics training world wants to talk about. Most ergonomics courses teach half of the problem. They teach assessments. They don't teach business. And when a healthcare professional finishes a course, gets competent and confident in their assessment skills, and then realizes they have no idea how to find a single client, they're left with a credential and a blank calendar. Listen to this episode to find out these 2 things that true at the same time right now and almost nobody is connecting them: back, neck, and joint pain is the most expensive chronic health condition in North America at over $300 billion a year, and new business formation is at record highs. The demand is real. The practitioners are out there. The gap is visibility, not skill. This episode is about closing that gap. What you'll take away: •       The honest truth about ergonomics regulation and why waiting for a license is often waiting for something that doesn't exist •       Why competence and confidence matter deeply, and why a bad certification is worse than no certification •       The catch-22 that most ergonomics courses create: they teach you to assess but not to find anyone to assess •       The $300B context: why the market for ergonomics services has never been bigger or more ready •       Why the real barrier right now is visibility, not skill, and what to do about it •       Why a chatbot can't solve the business problem, and what actually can If you trained in ergonomics and you're not yet consistently getting clients, this episode will tell you why. And more importantly, what to do next. If you're a healthcare professional and this episode got your wheels turning about office ergonomics - good. I've got free resources to help you take the next step at ergonomicshelp.com/resources.  [https://www.ergonomicshelp.com/resources]

5 Signs ANY Workplace Needs an Ergonomic Assessment (Not Just New Equipment)

Most companies that need an ergonomic assessment don't know they need one. They've bought new chairs. They've done the wellness training. They've put up the stretch posters. And people are still hurting. So they conclude that ergonomics doesn't work, when the real problem is that they've been buying solutions without ever diagnosing the actual problem. In this episode, we break down 5 clear, observable signs that a workplace needs a proper ergonomic assessment and why recognizing these signs is one of the most powerful tools an ergonomics consultant has for starting a real client conversation. We unpack the research behind why comprehensive ergonomic intervention outperforms equipment-only and training-only approaches, what each sign is actually telling you about the underlying problem, and how to use this framework in your marketing, your proposals, and your very first conversation with a prospective client. In this episode: * Why buying new equipment without an assessment almost never solves the problem and what the research says about equipment-only interventions * The 'improvised fixes' signal: why cardboard boxes under monitors are a diagnostic finding, not just a quirky habit * Why cross-departmental complaints are the red flag that changes the conversation from 'individual problem' to 'systemic issue' * Why 'we don't know what's causing it' is the single most expensive position a company can be in * The 40% reduction finding  and how to present comprehensive assessment ROI to a client who's already tried 'fixing it' on their own Whether you're a new ergonomics consultant building your client base or an experienced practitioner looking for sharper language to open doors, this episode gives you a framework you can use in your next sales conversation this week. If you're a healthcare professional and this episode got your wheels turning about office ergonomics - good. I've got free resources to help you take the next step at ergonomicshelp.com/resources.  [https://www.ergonomicshelp.com/resources]