These are stressful times for employees, particularly those working from home because of the pandemic. According to a Steelcase study, the buzz that arises from working remotely traditionally starts to ebb about five weeks into the work. That likely didn’t present much of a challenge before the pandemic when only 5% of employees worked from home most of the time. Now with more people working from home, they face new challenges that impact their engagement and productivity.
The study found that without proper worked-focused home office furniture, people working from home used what they had, like the couch, kitchen table, even a bed. It also found that people with the proper resources are more likely to remain productive, engaged, and collaborative.
The pandemic has pushed more employees towards the home office, a trend that is likely to continue post-COVID.
“Now that many people will continue to work from home in some capacity in the future, it’s important to provide them with ergonomic seating and effective work tools to be comfortable and productive and help avoid injury from poor posture, repetitive movements, eye strain, etc.,” says Caroline Kelly, Steelcase WorkSpace Future manager.
Let’s take a look at some of the products that will enhance the remote experience.
Home Office Furniture Should Include Ergonomically Designed Chairs and Desks
It’s important to have a good ergonomically designed chair that’s comfortable and adaptable to an individual’s posture and constantly changing position. Consider these options:
- Series 1: This chair delivers on what’s important: ergonomics, quality, and choice. It retains everything that’s valued for a chair, while making it attainable for everyone.
- Leap: This chair’s back moves as your back moves, and its arms move as your arms move. With exceptional comfort and support, Leap provides a healthier way to sit.
- Think: The Think office chair intuitively responds to the movement of the body to provide comfort. Fully redesigned, Think is smart, simple and sustainable.
What’s an office, home or otherwise, without a desk? Well, incomplete, that’s what. Have a look at these home office furniture desks:
- Migration Height Adjustable Desk: Migration is a height-adjustable desk built for the home office with performance and wellbeing in mind to support you wherever work gets done. The desk features commercial grade high pressure laminates (HPL) for maximum protection and durability.
- Active Lift Riser: With a compact two-tier design and a simple one-touch lock-and-lift mechanism, Steelcase® Active Lift Riser makes it easy to transition between sitting and standing throughout the day.
Let’s Not Forget the Accessories That Complete the Home Office Experience
Now that we have the basics covered, desks and chairs, let’s consider some accessories to give the home that office touch:
- Monitor Arm – Volley: Volley is a straight-forward monitor arm with an understated design and a simple statement of line.
- Desk Lamp – Dash: Dash is a high-performance LED task light with an occupancy sensor. It can turn the light off when it’s not in use, to avoid unnecessary energy use and extend lamp life.
- Footrest – Campfire: Designed as a place to put your feet up, prop the backs of the legs or encourage a shift in weight while standing, it’s a small product with a big impact.
Of course, the right home office furniture alone won’t make the home office complete or even work. There are other parts to this puzzle, including:
- The home-based worker will need access to audio visual technology to stay connected to the team, duplicating as much as possible one of the biggest benefits of the office. This includes video- and tele-conferencing abilities for joining meetings; schedulers for those meetings; and messaging boards and other systems for sharing information.
- Some of the largest challenges facing home-based workers are isolation and depression issues, as employees feel disconnected. It’s important for employers to promote wellness programs, including proper diet and exercise. Maintaining a social connection between the workplace and office-based workers is vital for the mental and physical wellbeing of employees working remotely.
Seems like a daunting task, doesn’t it? Well, not to worry, assistance is here. Contact the experts at POI today for advice on how to succeed with a home-based office.