Workplace Health and Accounts Payable

Accounts Payable and the Modern Office: The Health Risks Nobody Talks About

By Robert Ruhno, Executive Director, Accounts Payable Professionals Group

Most Accounts Payable professionals spend their careers focused on financial controls, fraud prevention, reconciliations, audit trails, and operational discipline. We are trained to identify risks before they become expensive problems.

Far fewer people stop to consider the long-term health risks built into the modern office itself.

Many AP professionals spend decades sitting under artificial lighting, processing paper, handling receipts, eating at their desks, and working through close cycles with very little movement. Over time, those patterns begin to add up.

The modern office has changed dramatically over the last 30 years. We now live in a world filled with plastics, thermal papers, sedentary workflows, remote work isolation, convenience packaging, and repetitive computer-based tasks. Researchers and health professionals have started asking whether these patterns may contribute to long-term health concerns, especially when repeated daily over the course of a 20- or 30-year career.

Many of these risks may be reduced through awareness and better workplace habits.

The Sedentary Nature of AP Work

Invoice processing, ERP navigation, reconciliations, approval routing, reporting, three-way matching, and month-end close activities often require AP professionals to remain seated for long periods of time.

Hybrid and remote work may intensify this. Many people no longer walk to meetings, commute through office buildings, or naturally move throughout the day the way they once did.

Research continues to associate prolonged sedentary behavior with increased risks involving circulation, cardiovascular health, metabolic issues, fatigue, posture problems, and other health concerns. Some researchers now describe prolonged sitting as an independent health risk, even among individuals who otherwise exercise regularly.

A standing desk is not the same thing as walking, stretching, or moving naturally throughout the day. Still, alternating between sitting and standing may be considerably better than remaining seated continuously during long close cycles or reconciliation sessions.

The goal is not to stand all day. The real objective may be reducing long uninterrupted periods in the same posture.

Practical Ideas for AP Professionals

Alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day.
Take short walking breaks during approval delays or long processing sessions.
Pace during phone calls or Teams meetings.
Use smartwatch or calendar reminders for movement.
Consider under-desk pedals or treadmill workstations.
Build short reset walks into month-end close routines.

Thermal Paper Receipts and BPA Exposure

This is one area where AP professionals may face exposures that many office workers rarely think about.

Receipts, expense reports, mailed invoices, retail transaction records, and thermal paper documents are common throughout finance and accounting environments. Studies have examined BPA and BPS chemicals used in some thermal papers, with researchers noting that these compounds may transfer through skin contact during handling.

My personal recommendation: If I were regularly handling large volumes of thermal receipts or mailed documents every day, I would absolutely use proper nitrile gloves during batch processing tasks. The research surrounding thermal paper exposure is serious enough that I believe the precaution is justified, particularly over a long career in accounting or finance.

Research involving receipt handling has shown that nitrile gloves may significantly reduce BPA exposure during prolonged contact with thermal paper.

This becomes even more relevant in AP environments where professionals may process:

Mailed receipts.
Expense reports.
Shipping documents.
Point-of-sale records.
Stacks of invoices during close periods.

Researchers have also noted that lotions, oils, or hand sanitizers may increase skin absorption during receipt handling.

Practical Ideas for AP Professionals

Keep disposable nitrile gloves available for heavy receipt-handling tasks.
Prioritize digital receipts and paperless workflows when practical.
Wash hands thoroughly after handling thermal paper.
Avoid applying sanitizer or lotion immediately before processing receipts.
Reduce unnecessary physical document handling where possible.

Office Kitchens, Plastics, and Convenience Culture

Close week culture often creates unhealthy office habits.

Many AP professionals know the routine:

Rushed lunches.
Reheated coffee.
Eating at the desk.
Microwaving food in plastic containers.
Relying heavily on convenience foods during deadlines.

Researchers continue studying endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as BPA, BPS, phthalates, and PFAS compounds found in plastics, food packaging materials, thermal papers, and non-stick coatings.

The issue is less about one plastic container or one receipt. The larger concern may involve cumulative exposure from many small daily sources repeated over decades:

Food packaging.
Water bottles.
Canned linings.
Thermal paper.
Office kitchen containers.
Sedentary work environments.

When practical, I prefer glass or stainless steel for food and beverage storage.

I have also worked in offices that intentionally used glass water cooler bottles instead of plastic ones. They were heavier, more expensive, and less convenient to handle, but the reasoning was straightforward: glass does not rely on bisphenol-based plastics or plasticizers used in many synthetic materials.

To be fair, even many glass cooler systems still use plastic caps or components similar to standard office water systems. Modern life makes avoiding plastics entirely difficult. The more realistic goal may be reducing unnecessary exposure where practical.

Practical Ideas for AP Professionals

Use glass or stainless steel containers for reheating food.
Avoid microwaving heavily worn plastic containers.
Consider stainless steel or ceramic mugs for hot beverages.
Stay hydrated during long close cycles.
Reduce reliance on highly processed convenience foods during busy periods.
Use fresh air and short outdoor breaks whenever possible.

The Remote Work Paradox

Remote work has brought major benefits to many AP professionals, including flexibility, reduced commuting stress, and better work-life balance.

At the same time, remote work may unintentionally increase sedentary behavior even further.

Many remote workers now spend entire days:

Sitting at the same workstation.
Eating lunch at the desk.
Attending back-to-back virtual meetings.
Moving only short distances throughout the day.

Those small movements that once existed naturally in office environments often disappear completely at home.

Practical Ideas for Remote AP Teams

Create a dedicated workspace separate from eating or sleeping areas.
Schedule intentional movement breaks throughout the day.
Take short walks before or after work to simulate a commute.
Maximize natural lighting when possible.
Use ergonomic seating and monitor positioning.
Stand during lower-intensity meetings or document review sessions.

A Professional Sustainability Mindset

Accounts Payable professionals are trained to think in terms of long-term controls, risk mitigation, operational consistency, and sustainability.

That mindset may also apply to workplace health.

The goal is not perfection, fear, or eliminating every possible exposure from modern life. That would be nearly impossible.

The more realistic objective may be reducing avoidable risks where practical:

Moving more frequently.
Reducing prolonged sitting.
Minimizing unnecessary receipt handling.
Improving food storage habits.
Creating healthier daily work routines.

Small improvements repeated consistently over decades may matter far more than most people realize.

Quick-Start Checklist for AP Professionals

Alternate between sitting and standing throughout the workday.
Take movement breaks during long processing sessions.
Use nitrile gloves for heavy receipt-handling tasks.
Wash hands after handling thermal paper.
Use glass or stainless steel containers when practical.
Reduce unnecessary plastic food heating.
Build movement into month-end close routines.
Optimize remote work ergonomics and lighting.
Prioritize digital workflows whenever possible.

Accounts Payable professionals spend their careers protecting organizations from operational and financial risk.

It may be time for the profession to think more seriously about protecting its people as well.

Note: This article discusses general workplace wellness concepts and emerging research surrounding sedentary behavior and environmental exposures. Readers should consult qualified healthcare professionals regarding individual medical concerns or occupational health decisions.