Almost half of UK businesses are risking employees health by using unsuitable office equipment.

According to telecoms distributor NB Data and Coleman Parkes, 42% of workers who use fixed-line telephone headsets or a traditional handset have experienced neck pain in the past year.

Almost two thirds of staff use the phone for more than five hours a day, while 30% spend between three and five hours on the phone. Three-quarters of employees feel "chained to their desk" by technology, and 64% believe that cordless phones would make them more productive as they would be able to move around the office.

Gary Basso, director of NB Data, said: "By providing wrong, outdated equipment, companies are jeopardising their greatest asset - their staff. Dragging their feet over equipment issues is unacceptable."