Is your office working for you?

Discover the link between good furnishings, your health
and their effects on your productivity.

The office is where many of us spend most of our working life. However, it also receives the least consideration when it comes to design and furnishings. If you are a home entrepreneur or a corporate business leader, wouldn't you want your office designed and furnished so that it is the most productive place in the world for yourself and your employees?

Ergonomics is the study of the relationship between human capacity and work demands. Is your office furnished in a way that helps increase productivity and lower health problems?
We take closer look at the different aspects that make your office the perfect workplace.

The home office

Most work-at-home professionals spend at least
80 per cent of their work time staring at a computer screen. A work-at-home professional is probably the most harried person as their office is always open. Think about it; it is only 3pm and your back is aching, your vision cloudy, your neck feels stiff and you are fatigued. If this is how you feel on a Tuesday, it is your workplace and not you that has the problem. Here are a few things you need to take into consideration before you furnish your home office:

- Will you be working full-time out of your home, or occasionally?

- Should it be a relaxing environment, a stimulating workplace or both?

- Will there be visitors at your home office?

- Should the look of your office fit in with the rest of your home?

Choose colours and a style that best suit your needs and make for an enjoyable workplace. If you won't have business visitors, you have complete control over how you decorate your office. If you will have visitors, adjust your style to project the professional image you want to convey.

Furniture

Begin with self-analysis. If you spend most of your time sitting at your desk or working on your computer, invest in a large desk with sufficient legroom. Antique desks look great but have little legroom. You don't want your computer taking up all your desk space, as this means paper, books, printer and phone end up cluttered around you.

Ergonomics experts recommend a workspace about 70cm deep. When working on your computer, your eyes should be 70cm away from your screen. Otherwise, it results in strained eyes and worsening vision. Your keyboard should be 70cm off the floor. If it's very low, you'll tend to slouch, resulting in back pain, and if it's too high your wrists will ache.

Ergonomic comfort is very important to keep you alert and maintain the right posture. However, there is no ideal chair; you'll have to find yours. Make sure you can adjust the height, tilt and swivel. You should be able to raise and lower the height of the padded armrests. The back of the chair should be high and wide enough to support your shoulders. When seated, you should be able to place your feet on the floor.

The right chair is comfortable from the moment you sit down and stays that way after several hours of working but shouldn't be so comfy that it puts you to sleep. Though expensive, an ergonomic chair will compensate by increasing productivity.

Lighting

Good lighting reduces glare and squinting, as well
as fatigue. If you find yourself leaning to avoid glare, your lighting probably needs improvement. Make sure there are no overhead lights above the computer monitor as this increases glare.

Position

Make sure you don't tie yourself up at work — literally. The pen/pencil holder and notepad should be on the right side (or left if you are left-handed) so you can grab it quickly if you need to jot down something. The phone should be on the left side, so you can take notes with your right hand while you talk. Your mouse should be on the right side alongside your keyboard. The various wires or cables that come out of your hard drive could be tied together in a neat bundle and behind the desk. All important resources should be within easy reach.

The corporate office

Corporate ergonomics are about more than just preventing repetitive stress injuries. It is about minimising costs and maximising long-term productivity. Decorating an office space has to take into account two things

- Your office space should be inviting and pleasant
for both employees and visitors.

- It must retain a professional look and feel.

Furniture

Office furniture plays a large role in how an office space looks and feels. Buy different furniture to suit the role of the person in the office.

For example, the reception area has to be warm and attractive while the executive office has to look professional.

Mismatched desks and chairs tend to make the place look cheap. If you are renting/lease your office, with increasing rent, spaces become costlier. So invest in the latest space-saving products as consider leasing furniture.

Positioning

It is important to keep your employees comfortable
at their desks. To do this invest in ergonomically designed furniture that makes them want to stay at work rather than leave.

While safety and aesthetics are given maximum importance, productivity and a healthy workplace aren't always taken into consideration when designing and furnishing an office. We need to remedy this as increased productivity is directly connected to profits.

A happy workforce is a productive workforce.