Healthy working from home

Working from home is a relatively new term these days. In recent years, the number of people working from home has risen sharply. Working from home does offer some advantages: no more commute, fewer distractions from colleagues, higher productivity, and better for the environment. However, there are some ergonomic drawbacks. After all, a home worker doesn't always have the same options at home as at work. Where you might normally use a separate monitor and keyboard at the office, and (hopefully) have a decent office chair, you might now be sitting with your laptop at a much smaller desk on an overly hard kitchen chair.

How do you ensure that you are ergonomically comfortable when working from home?

Anyone who works from home on a systematic basis needs an ergonomic workplace.

Ergonomics at home is a shared responsibility of both the employer and the employee. The employer should provide the necessary equipment, but the employee also contributes by providing a separate space and sturdy furniture, and by varying tasks and postures.

The employer is responsible for the equipment and infrastructure required for teleworking. This often primarily includes a laptop and an internet connection, but ergonomic equipment can also be included. If the employee purchases these for themselves, they are entitled to reimbursement for expenses.  The ergonomics association's position is that employers must always provide minimum equipment for working from home. This is regardless of whether there is a written agreement. The minimum equipment is: - an adjustable laptop stand (sturdy and adapted to the type of laptop)

What do you need to work ergonomically at home?

• A unique keyboard that's 80mm narrower than conventional keyboards. The advantage of a compact keyboard is that you can keep your arms even closer to your torso, allowing your shoulders to relax more. A mouse is gripped in a handshake position. This position reduces wrist bend and forearm inward rotation, maintaining its original anatomical position.

• A secluded space increases concentration and productivity. Make agreements about this with your partner, children, and friends.

• Ensure there's sufficient light and depth perception. It's less tiring for your eyes if you can see at least 2 meters into the distance. It's best to have daylight coming from the side to avoid distracting light in your eyes or on your screen.

• An adjustable office chair with adjustable seat height and depth. It also provides good support for the lower back and arms through armrests. The office chair should also encourage movement and posture changes. This distributes the load on your spine, alternating the stress on your intervertebral discs and promoting their rehydration. An office chair only becomes ergonomic when it is adapted to your body's characteristics.
  

• A sufficiently large screen of at least 19 inches.

It's recommended that employees interrupt their sitting position every 30 minutes. Every employee should be able to move for at least 45 minutes per day during working hours. And make sure you get enough sleep, preferably 8 hours per night, and don't use a tablet or phone. Good sleep improves your memory and rehydrates the discs in your spine.

Ergonomic sitting position

-       Sit with an open hip angle. This means the angle between your torso and your legs is greater than 90°.

-       Always adjust the height of your office chair based on the open hip angle.

-       Make sure that the backrest of your office chair properly supports your lower back.

-       Adjust the seat depth so that you can still fit your fist between the back of your knee and the seat.

-       Adjust your desk height so that your elbows are at about a 90° angle and your forearms are properly supported.

-       Adjust your screen to eye level. When you look straight ahead, you should see the top edge of your screen.

-       The best posture is the next one. So keep moving. Never lock your office chair! Constantly changing your sitting position improves blood circulation.

Products and tips that can help with working from home

If you don't have a proper desk setup, you can create a comfortable situation with a few very simple tips, such as using a shoebox as a footrest, placing a pillow behind your back, placing books under your screen, etc.

-       There are handy laptop stands and/or compact keyboards. The advantage of a laptop stand is that you can  You can also place documents just below your screen and keep looking straight ahead. And not sideways.  to read your papers.