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You can also use our Home office mobile office guide to managing remote working, explains how to protect your staff and improve efficiency by managing the risks sensibly. It also includes some assessment checklists to help you manage remote working. Hybrid working from home means switching regularly between different environments.
Each issue of The Homeworker magazine looks at your wellbeing, productivity and home workspace. At the height of the Coronavirus pandemic, many thousands of employees across the country were offered work-from-home arrangements, and the UK Government advice was to work remotely wherever possible. By practising these four small exercises, you can relieve the four pain areas – head, neck, wrists and back – and release minor blockages. Lower arm and hand should ideally be in a horizontal line when working with a mouse and keyboard. The head tilt when viewing the top line on the screen should be a maximum of 35°.
Your Reading List & recommendations
Our Leitz Ergo Cosy Active Sit Stand Stool is perfect for use with our standing desk converter, as it features an adjustable height so it can be used when the desk is raised or lowered. Our Leitz Ergo Cosy Standing Desk Converter has a pneumatic-assisted adjustment to make it quick and easy to switch between a traditional sitting desk and standing. It moves the workstation straight up or down as needed within its own footprint, which saves on space. Improving ergonomics in the workplace can help employees to work more productively and efficiently, all while avoiding injuries that can occur when working with the wrong equipment. “Essentially, employers need to ensure the workstation is assessed and appropriate equipment provided based on the demands of the task employees are being asked to undertake,” says the HSE spokesperson. “And upon review of the arrangements, take appropriate steps where such work, is adversely affecting the health, safety and welfare of their employees.”
- If a role requires telephone use for long periods – which could be common now that employees are geographically dispersed – then suggest adaptations such as hands-free headsets.
- Our sitting ball hair has a washable cover to keep it clean and a durable carry handle to easily move it around the office.
- Our Leitz Ergo Cosy Seat Cushion works with any chair and helps to promote a healthy posture and easy pressure on the spine.
- Making sure your employees have the correct equipment when working from home is really important.
The lumbar spine has an inward curve, and sitting for long periods without support for this curve tends to lead to slouching, which flattens the natural curve and strains the structures in the lower spine. Computer vision syndrome symptoms include headaches, eye strain, eye fatigue and dry eyes. It is often caused by looking at a monitor that is bright and sitting too close to a computer. Repetitive strain injury refers to injuries that are caused by repetitive movements or activities that involve working in an awkward position. Keeping your hands in line with your forearms relieves the tendons, and limits the strain on your arms and shoulders.
(bonus item!) Specialist equipment
Though many people can sit on a standard office chair (which must have adjustable arms, a height adjustable backrest and a 5 star base), some may require a specialist chair with lumbar support or a headrest to support the neck. The research shows that this situation is worse for women than for men. Six in 10 women (59%) have no access to an office desk, compared to only four in 10 men (42%). The same trend is seen for other equipment including adjustable office chair, separate monitor, separate mouse, separate keyboard and desk lamp – all of which can have an ergonomic benefit that protects physical health. Also, remember that alternating sitting and standing positions is not enough to prevent MSDs.
Those that are injured through working at incorrectly set up workstations may need to take time away from work, which can mean an increased workload on other employees or a reduction in output. When employees work with the wrong equipment, they will be more at risk of injury. This includes their desk and workstation setup as well as the tools they use and the tasks they have to complete.
Try desk exercises
A crucial factor for greater concentration and effectiveness in your work is an organised work environment. Notes taken during a telephone call should be written in notebooks rather than on loose sheets, or recorded digitally. The decoration on the desk is best kept minimalistic, with a maximum of two personal items. Lastly, it is important to tidy up your workstation in the evening, as this will also help you to mentally switch off after work. The posture you started with, albeit, the right one would later alter as you keep working.
However, it’s always a good idea to double-check before making your purchase. Maintaining a healthy office habit can be difficult when working from home, and it can be particularly difficult for mothers who balance work and family obligations. There may not appear to be any time for you, and making time to exercise or consume a healthy diet may be particularly challenging.
The importance of work breaks
It’s all about the height – so consider putting your laptop higher up on something stable (if you have an external keyboard), reducing your chair height or even boosting yourself with a cushion, so everything is more in line. Having an appropriate stand for your laptop or monitor can be an invaluable way to improve your working posture and ensure better comfort throughout the day. The following laptop and monitor support from CMD is the ideal choice for homeworkers, allowing for optimal usability without sacrificing portability. Kitchen and dining tables can be lower or higher than work desks and are often un-adjustable.
When setting up a home office for remote work, it’s essential that you take lighting into consideration. Use an adjustable desk lamp to brighten up your workspace in order to avoid eye strain. Look for a light that allows you to change the brightness so you can adapt it for different tasks and throughout the day. You should also try to minimise glare on the screen by positioning your desk either so it’s perpendicular to the window or so that the windows are behind the screen. A home office that isn’t optimised ergonomically can increase the likelihood back pain and spinal health issues (stemming from poor posture). The American Posture Institute notes that it can also lead to lower metabolic rate and respiratory dysfunction.
Laptop Stand or a Monitor Riser
As a result of the lockdowns caused by the Covid-19 health crisis, home working has become essential to a greater number of people. However, working efficiently from home requires designing an ergonomic workstation https://remotemode.net/ so that, even at home, work is synonymous with health and safety. Ergonomics might not be something you’ve considered when someone else has to deal with it, but working from home means it’s time to get clued up.
Cable management solutions promote a more organised workspace and keep under-desk areas neat and hazard-free. If a role requires telephone use for long periods – which could be common now that employees are geographically dispersed – then https://remotemode.net/blog/10-remote-work-ergonomics-tips-to-use/ suggest adaptations such as hands-free headsets. There should be a good source of natural light and/or access to an effective lamp. Ideally they will have a dedicated area of their home to work in that is free from noise and distractions.