Working from home is nothing new. However, the current COVID pandemic has thrust millions into unplanned work from home environments, most of which are poorly prepared or designed to meet the demands of maintaining high levels of productivity. This is true whether you are self-employed or work for others. Our success demands we be productive regardless of where our office is located.
For many who have found themselves in unplanned work from home the office set up leaves much to be desired. Kitchen tables often serve as makeshift desks, laptops on pillows while we prop ourselves up on a sofa or in bed. The list goes on. All of which lend themselves to lost productivity simply because the “home office” isn’t conducive to getting work done. Not to mention the increased risk of stress related injuries that further reduce performance and negatively impact our productivity.
Productivity does NOT have to suffer with the shift to working from home!
Elements for a Successful and Productive Home Office
Finding a dedicated space in your home to establish a proper home office is the first step to maintaining your productivity. This would ideally be free from the distractions of the household and allow you to work comfortably. It is also a key to being able to separate work from home life to maintain that balance we all need.
Desks do not fall under the category of “One size fits all.” Yet the industry standard for work surface height is 29/30”. Work surface space should allow you to comfortably set up your computer/monitor or laptop with adequate space for writing, document usage, lighting, phone, printer, etc. When considering your desk consider a height adjustable option. You should be able to mouse and keyboard with your arms parallel to the floor and wrists straight. Many pneumatic and electric height adjustable desk options are very affordable and can increase your productivity greatly and reduce the risk of stress related injuries.
If you’re working from an existing desk and replacing it just isn’t an option, look into keyboard trays that allow for a range of motion to help alleviate wrist, neck and back stress and fatigue. Desk top sit-to-stand units are a cost effective way of being able to adjust your working height. Changing working positions throughout your workday can help promote a healthier, and more productive, work environment.
Like desks, chairs are also an important consideration. Height adjustability, seat depth and tilt adjustability, lumbar support and arm rests are important aspects of choosing the proper chair for your office. There are hundreds of affordable options on the market today to help make your home office more comfortable and productive.
Again, if replacing what you already have available isn’t an option look for adjustable lumbar support cushions and foot rests to assist you in finding a more comfortable and ergonomically correct seated work position.
Monitor height is another critical component of proper office set up. And again this varies by individual. A couple of good ergonomic general “rules of thumb” to follow are: Monitor should be positioned about 20” away from your eyes- larger monitors should be positioned further away. Adjust the monitor so the top of the monitor is at or slightly below eye level- your eyes should look slightly downward when viewing the mid- point of the screen. A slight backward tilt (10-20 degrees) of the monitor also helps reduce glare and maintain good viewing posture.
We would also suggest a good adjustable articulating monitor arm that can easily be clamped or attached to your desk or work surface. There are many affordable options available for single, dual, triple, quad or even six monitor set ups. Adjusting your monitor throughout your work day can also help promote a healthier and more productive work environment.
When setting up your home office consider the lighting available. Natural lighting is a great asset when working in an office but we don’t all have that available to us. Or the hours we work- night shift- simply don’t afford us any natural light. Overhead lighting – the ceiling light in the room you work in – provides a good source but there are times when screen glare and shadowing can occur when keyboarding, writing or reading.
We recommend a good task light that can be easily placed on your desk or work-surface with adjustable lighting arms to direct light where it is most needed and beneficial. Many affordable task lights also have light brightness and color adjustability allowing you to change based on sensitivity to your eyes. Again, changing the focus, brightness and color of the light throughout the work day can help alleviate eye strain and assist in helping you remain productive.
Many task light models also include USB charging ports giving you ease of access to cell phone and other device charging right on your desk top.
Document shredders, while not necessarily directly related to your health or productivity, should also be an important consideration for your home office. Many of us, when we were working out of that office building simply dropped items to be shredded in a central location and went back about our business. Working from home we still have confidentiality issues to maintain for our employers and having that shredder in our home offices allows us to maintain that level of security.
Personally I believe every home should have a shredder to also help protect against identity theft. Good affordable shredders that allow you shred paper documents as well as CD’s, Credit Cards, etc. are readily available and a cost effective safeguard for your privacy, confidentiality and identity.
These are some of the key basic elements for home office set up consideration. Productivity does NOT have to suffer as employees transition to work-from-home environments. Many employers have recognized the need of maintaining the health and productivity of their employees and are helping to offset the cost of properly setting up home offices. Even as the COVID pandemic recedes it is uncertain that all employers will call their employees back into large, costly office spaces that may not be necessary.
WorkSmart OFS can assist you and/or your employer with all of the items you need to set up a proper, healthy and productive home office. Contact us today to see how we can assist- www.worksmartofs.com or 773-332-0980.