With more companies embracing remote and hybrid work arrangements, ensuring your team can perform at their best from home has never been more important. While the right technology is crucial to effective remote operations, there is an equally important consideration many businesses overlook: not so much what your team is working on, but how they are doing so.
We’ll explain.
Defining Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the science of designing a workspace to fit the worker. The core idea is straightforward: a person in a comfortable position is far more prepared to focus and be productive than one constantly distracted by physical discomfort.
In a traditional office, this is somewhat easier to accomplish. Most offices are equipped with furniture specifically designed for sustained computer use, built to help employees adopt a “neutral position” that minimizes strain over long hours. The amount of time anticipated to be spent at a given workstation directly influences how that furniture is designed.
A proper neutral posture is much harder to maintain in a home environment. The typical dining room table, card table, or couch creates entirely different body mechanics than a purpose-built office desk. That difference matters more than most people realize.
So how does an employee go about maintaining the correct posture while working from home?
Understanding the Basics
First, it helps to know what a neutral posture actually looks like at a computer workstation. According to OSHA’s computer workstation guidance, the hallmarks include a straight neck, relaxed shoulders, unbent wrists, and limbs either extended or bent at roughly a 90-degree angle. When seated, thighs should be roughly parallel to the floor, with the back well-supported. The monitor should be positioned at eye level or slightly below it.
While this setup is standard in a well-equipped office, most employees will not have the same arrangement available at home.
Working with What They Have
Fortunately, with a little improvisation, employees can approximate a proper ergonomic setup in their own homes.
If a monitor sits too low, propping it up with books or a small box is a perfectly reasonable short-term fix. For employees working from a laptop, consider providing a spare keyboard and mouse so the screen can be elevated to a better height without sacrificing input comfort. Small pillows or cushions can add lumbar support or adjust the height of a kitchen chair. If raising the seat leaves feet dangling, a step stool or thick book makes a solid footrest.
The key message to pass along to your team: take care of your working body the same way you would take care of any critical business resource. An employee whose back is too sore to focus will not be productive, no matter how capable their technology setup is.
That technology side of the equation is exactly where WheelHouse IT can help. Our managed IT services and Modern Workplace solutions are designed to make remote operations as seamless, secure, and productive as possible, whether your team is working from a dedicated home office or the kitchen table.
Set Your Remote Team Up for Success
Physical comfort and a reliable technology foundation go hand in hand. When your employees are properly set up on both fronts, they can show up focused, connected, and ready to contribute every day.
To learn more about the solutions WheelHouse IT offers to support your remote workforce, reach out to our team today.
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