OBI ‘Home Working’

Jessica England | 23 March 2020

OBI wants to offer our support and advice on all things that will help you setup and manage your business successfully from home in these difficult times.

We will provide you with helpful tips and guidance on how to best setup your home office, from the position of your desk to the best ergonomic task chair options available to buy on-line.

We’re also keen to help you and your staff with any issues you may have to help maintain focus and productivity.

Our team of Interior Designers and Workplace Consultants are always available to help with space planning techniques and solutions for home working and provide advice as to the best support products or techniques to utilise to get the best out of your setup. Please contact us on our email or through the website.

Workplaceconsultancy@obiproperty.co.uk
We’re here whenever you need us. #OBIHOMEWORKINGINITIATIVE

Setting up your Home Workspace:

1. Ensure all communication streams are agreed and clear with your work colleagues.

2. Do you have the software you need at home? Check if your IT is fully functioning. Do you have enough data? Do you need to speak to your home network provider?

3. Make sure you have an ergonomic chair, if possible. Don’t sit in your dining chair. The most important reason for an ergonomic chair is to support your natural posture and reduce stressful forces on your body. An ergonomic chair can reduce back pain by promoting a posture that allows proper alignment of the shoulders, hips and spine which helps to reduce abnormal strain. If your feet aren’t flat on the ground and the chair is in its lowest position, then a foot rest under the desk will bring you back into the right position.

4. Set up your working area so that there is no glare on your screen. Glare on your screen can cause eye strain so the ideal position for your desk is either facing a window or sideways onto a window. Before getting into your work, consider that during the day the sun may move into the position facing your screen or you may have reflection bouncing from other surfaces.

Two further tips for glare and eye strain would be to adjust the brightness settings on your computer screen and exercise your eyes by looking away from your screen every 20 minutes then gaze at a distant object for at least 20 seconds, some opticians call this the “20-20-20 rule”

5. The average desk height is 730mm, this height is designed to suit anyone between 5ft and 6.5ft tall. Finding your optimum desk height will help reduce strain and support where your wrists rest nearest to your keyboard in relation to the angle from your elbows resting on your chair. If you need extra support for your wrists, then there are many online retailers that sell soft gel wrist rests to alleviate the pressure.

6. “Sitting is the new smoking” – Adjustable desks allow a sitting and standing option which offer a great solution for those that are very sedentary, however the key message is to move as often as possible and plan regular exercise.

7. What height should your screen be? Chronic tension in the back, neck and into the shoulders can be created from straining whilst looking at your screen. When seated comfortably, place the monitor at arm’s length away from yourself and position the screen in-line with your eyes at a point that is 2-3 inches below the top of the screen.

If you need any additional advice during your time working at home please call the OBI workplace team and we will assist where possible.

Look out for our further advice and tips to make your time working at home as productive as it can be. #OBIHOMEWORKINGINITIATIVE

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