Due to the coronavirus pandemic, most businesses have implemented policies to enhance working from home, which largely requires workers to set up a workstation. Before now, most small business owners already had workspaces set up in their homes. Enterprise Nation reported in 2014 that one in ten houses are presently home to at least one business which greatly contributes to the British economy. With people spending more hours in their home offices, a correct and proper setup will not only improve efficiency but will guarantee general productivity. There are companies such as LexMod that specialize in providing a diverse range of modern furniture that can be used for home offices.
How to Set Up a Home Workstation
Creating a healthy and safe workstation is important and requisite to guarantee all-around productivity and also ensure comfort as one works from home. A home workstation should largely reflect the office workstation setting, so watch out for the following when setting up a home workstation:
- Ensure that the chair is at the right height. Your forearms should be at the same level as the desk to ensure you are properly comfortable.
- Ensure the screen is at arm’s length from your position and that the monitor is at eye level. Use a monitor block or phone book to raise the screen to the right height that is comfortable for you.
- Use a footrest if your feet are not properly positioned or are dangling.
- Ensure you sit right, with your back in the chair so that your lower back is supported. You should invest in decent chairs available in different companies like Log Furniture Place.
- If a laptop is being used, using an external keyboard and mouse would prevent putting tension on the shoulders through excessive reaching and avoid undue pressure on the wrist. Put the laptop screen in a higher position to prevent straining your neck.
Factors to consider when setting the home workstation
The type of business you manage via the home office would clearly define the challenges and issues that would affect the effectiveness and productivity of the home office. Some of the issues to consider before setting up a workspace include:
- Will clients visit the home office? Having clients visiting your home office requires that the workstation be properly designed and arranged to accommodate visits, and when possible, create another access route to your workspace that would not intrude on your home.
- Will co-employees visit the home office? Having colleagues or employees visit your home office necessitates the need for the workstation to be designed to accommodate more than one person per time.
- Communication connectivity- You will need space for phone jacks for landline purposes and space for wireless routers, wireless phones, and wireless computers.
Inexpensive practices to save money in home offices and ensure a healthier environment
- Place paper recycling bins in convenient locations such as beside desks and near file cabinet
- Purchase and use unbleached office papers with high recycled content.
- Purchase and use ink and toner cartridge refill kits to cut down on waste and save money on cartridge costs.
- Edit documents on-screen rather than printing draft copies.
- Purchase office supplies in bulk to cut down on packaging waste.