Our processes adhere to strict standards, from the moment you book with us, right through to reporting and data handling after the assessment.

On this page we'll try to answer some of your most frequently asked questions about safety and security throughout every stage of our workstation assessment service. If you can't find the answer to your question, please contact our Data Protection Officer at [email protected] or call 0345 345 0010.


Face-to-face assessment Show all answers

  • Who carries out the assessment?

    The face-to-face assessment will be conducted by one of our trained DSE assessors, all of whom have been chosen carefully from sports science and healthcare fields and possess the friendly, professional attitude our staff are known for.

  • Where will the assessment take place?

    The face-to-face assessment takes place in two parts. The first is an informal one-on-one interview, which may be conducted at the user's workstation, or - depending on circumstances, somewhere private like a break-out room, or quiet area of the office. The second part will be conducted at the user's workstation, or wherever they can be observed carrying out some of their typical work tasks to give the assessor a better understanding of their working positions and behaviours.

  • What exactly is being assessed?

    This depends on what kind of assessment has been booked, but typically the user is being assessed on how they interact with their workstation. Visit our DSE workstation assessment page to find out more about what each assessment involves.

  • Will there be physical contact?

    The assessor may take some measurements of the user and their workstation. This can involve the occasional light physical touch. The assessor may suggest changes and alter the user's positioning at the workstation to achieve an improved set up, which can also require some light physical touch. Should the user feel uncomfortable or experience discomfort at any point, they can ask the assessor to stop and discuss the issue. They have the right to request a chaperone to be present during all or part of the assessment.

  • Will there be photos taken?

    Depending on the type of assessment requested, photographs of the user, their workstation and immediate environment may be taken. If the user feels uncomfortable with this, or they don't want to be in the photos, they can explain this to the assessor. However, please be aware that photographs do often provide a clearer indication of the issues and improve the effectiveness of the reports.

Virtual assessment Show all answers

  • Who carries out the assessment?

    The assessment will be conducted remotely by one of our trained DSE assessors. All of our assessors have been chosen carefully from sports science and healthcare fields and possess the friendly, professional attitude our staff are known for.

  • Where will the assessment take place?

    The virtual assessment takes place at your workstation. You will communicate with your assessor either through a video meeting, or over the phone if necessary.

  • Do I need to appear on webcam?

    It is preferable, but not essential. You can disable the camera if you do not want to appear on screen, however, being able to see one another allows for a more personable experience.

  • Do I need to download any additional software to join the virtual appointment?

    No, you can join the meeting easily through a web browser without downloading any software.

  • How do I join the virtual appointment?

    We'll send an email the day before your appointment with video joining instructions. Simply click on the 'Join appointment' link in the email. Confirm your name and choose the audio and video settings that you want and click 'Join now'.

  • Can I join by telephone?

    If you are having trouble joining the appointment and you haven't joined the call within 5 minutes of your appointment slot, the Posturite assessor will call you using the contact details provided.

  • What exactly is being assessed?

    Using a combination of measurements, photographs and a video call, our experienced DSE assessors will be able to draw up a report that highlights risk areas and suggests improvements to help you feel as comfortable and productive as possible. Find out more about our Virtual DSE Workstation Assessment service.

  • Will there be physical contact?

    This an entirely virtual assessment so there will be no physical contact between the assessor and the employee being assessed.

  • Will there be photos taken?

    We require photos for the assessor to assist in identifying any issues with the workstation set up. Ideally you will need a second person to take the photos of you at your workstation. If this is not possible, it would still be helpful to provide photos of your unoccupied workstation. Photographs can be provided to us during the booking process.

    If the user feels uncomfortable with this, they are not required to send them. However, please be aware that photographs do often provide a clearer indication of the issues and improve the effectiveness of the reports.

Data and reporting Show all answers

  • What do the terms 'suitable' and 'not suitable' mean?

    Throughout the report we use the terms 'suitable' and 'not suitable' to describe the user's existing equipment. The term 'suitable' is used when we are satisfied that no further improvements can be made to the equipment. The term 'not suitable' is used when we believe improvements can be made to the equipment, subject to approval.

  • What are report findings based on?

    This report is based on our observations and information provided by the user during the assessment.

  • Why do you sometimes recommend new equipment?

    Any recommendations are made to try to increase the user's level of comfort while they're working at their workstation.

  • Do the reports contain sensitive information?

    Our reports contain personal and potentially special category information as defined by The Data Protection Act 2018.

  • How does Posturite protect client data?

    The data we collect and process during an assessment is taken for no purpose other than to conduct the assessment effectively. The data collected will be the user's name, email address, assessment location, contact details, photographs (if taken), the names of others present at the assessment, and basic, relevant health details supplied by the user to the assessor. The user's rights under Data Protection legislation remain unchanged. Should you have any concerns, please raise this with your respective Data Controller.

    Following the assessment, a report of the assessment will be provided to the person who requested the assessment.

  • How do we you store your data?

    We store all assessment data, including photographs within the UK, using a Microsoft AZURE UK cloud environment. All data (including backups), is encrypted at rest using an AES256 encryption algorithm.

  • How long do we keep your data?

    We will keep your assessment data for five years unless we have been instructed by contract or otherwise to a differing retention period.

Cancellation and rescheduling policy

We understand that schedules can change, and we strive to accommodate our customers' needs. To ensure a smooth process, we have established the following cancellation and rescheduling policy:

Notice Timing Cancel/Reschedule Penalty
Early Notice More than one working day before the assessment Cancel or Reschedule No penalty
Late Notice Within one working day of the assessment Cancel only* 100% cancellation fee
No Show Time of the appointment Cancel only* 100% cancellation fee

Early Notice: More than one working day before the assessment

  • You can freely reschedule or cancel your appointment without any penalty if you do so before one full working day prior to your scheduled date.
  • For example, if your appointment is on a Friday, you have the freedom to change or cancel it any time before Wednesday at 11:59 pm.

Late Notice: Within one working day of the assessment

  • If you decide to cancel your appointment the day before or on the day of the of your scheduled appointment, it will be considered late notice.
  • In such cases, a 100% cancellation fee will be applied, and you will be unable to reschedule without a new referral*.
  • For example, if your appointment is on Friday and you decide to cancel on Thursday or Friday itself, you will be charged a 100% cancellation fee.

No Show

  • A 'No Show' occurs if the appointee is unavailable or uncontactable at the time of our scheduled visit.
    • We provide comprehensive reminders, including emails and notifications of our journey progress, arrival, and a 2-hour window for face-to-face appointments.
    • We will attempt to call the appointee using the provided telephone number.
    • If we are unable to make contact with the appointee, we will also try to contact the other Work Order contacts for example the Line Manager.
    • Should we fail to establish contact within 15 minutes of our arrival, the appointment will be marked as a 'No Show'.
  • In such instances, a full cancellation fee will be charged, and rescheduling will require a new referral*.

*Please note that if you still wish to schedule an appointment after a Late Notice cancellation, or missed (No Show) appointment, the original payment for the service will be considered a late or missed appointment charge. To proceed with booking a new appointment, you will need to create a new order and follow the referral process again.

Please note that by scheduling an appointment with us, you agree to comply with and abide by this policy. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to contact our Appointments team, who will be happy to assist you.