Do You Want Your Dining Room Table Back?
Make Work from Home, Work
From Tangram's Second Safest Webinar Series
After gaining a diverse set of valuable insight from several roundtable discussions with industry giants and innovative clients, we launched the Second Safest Workplace webinar series beginning in June. We kicked the series off with Do You Want Your Dining Table Back? as Kevin Butler, Steelcase Senior Ergonomist, Christina Manville, Lockton Insurance Corporate Insurance Broker, and Rebecca Steketee, Steelcase Global Director of Digital Ventures put their heads together to discuss a more sustainable work-from-home solution.
While the current pandemic numbers and predictions shift greatly on a weekly basis, there is one certainty: working from home is here to stay. Therefore, Butler, Manville and Steketee came together to share their office and industry insight into how each at-home worker can optimize their space from a safety, ergonomic and wellbeing perspective.
The future of working includes the home
• Only 32% have a secondary monitor
• Only 17% of employees work at a worksurface that allows them to modify the height
Yet still, most people are uncomfortable at home.
• Only 29% of employees have an ergonomic chair.
• 50% always or almost always work at a desk.
• Only 30% of respondents say it is extremely accurate they have a workspace at home that is comfortable.
What programs are organizations implementing?
1. Stipends – Google allotted $1000 to every employee for WFH furniture + tools
2. Curated Catalog – Organizations are offering Steelcase-curated small catalogs of furniture for their employees to choose from
3. Relocate Office to Home – Companies allow their employees to take their office furniture and tools home
How can organizations best implement a WFH program?
If you have no idea what you’re going to do tomorrow, know that you are not alone. - Kevin Butler, Steelcase Senior Ergonomist
If your organization is just now starting a WFH program, it’s recommended to have an in-house HR or risk manager who can facilitate the transition and maintenance. Some WFH specialists are even setting up virtual one-on-ones with employees to asses their at-home setup and determine if there are any risks or room for improvement. Additionally, there are many affordable online tools that include training and assessment.
Key Consideration: At-home incidents make up 1/3 of worker compensation claims.
Practical tips to optimize your Home Office Space:
1. Adjust your shoulder posture – add a cushion to your chair and allow shoulders to drop
2. Adjust screen position – add a stack of books below your laptop if necessary. The top portion of your screen should be at or slightly below eye level and at least an arm’s length away
3. Invest in an external keyboard and mouse. These items are affordable and make the biggest difference for the ergonomics of your at-home office.
4. Don’t forget to get up, move around, and stretch!
At Home Wellness Tips:
Mental health is just as important for providing a healthy work environment. - Christina Manville, Lockton Insurance Corporate Insurance Broker
Zoom fatigue is a real thing. You want to make sure you’re supporting your staff and accounting for mental health just as much as the work support that they’re all asking for.
Wellness Tips:
• Get dressed in the morning
• Set aside a designated work area
• Schedule walks into your schedule
• Take virtual coffee breaks with your team
• Check in 1-on-1 with your reports
• Keep regular office hours
• Make sure you’re scheduling in snacks and meals
• Pick a certain time of the day to cease working
Utilize Mantras
Mantras are extraordinarily effective if you choose the right one and you stay diligent in using it. – Kevin Butler, Steelcase Senior Ergonomist
Examples:
• Move more, move often.
• My next posture is my best posture.
• I've done enough.
