Ergonomics at your hybrid workplace with desk sharing

During the Corona pandemic, working from home was the number one rule for many companies and employees. The numerous agreements on working from home and the development of hybrid work with the combination of home office and office offer employees the possibility to work from home, which leads to more flexibility and a better work-life balance. Desk sharing as a hybrid workplace model for organising and managing office presence through software applications has become increasingly popular.

The most important equipment that the company provides its employees for hybrid work with desk sharing is the laptop. This gives each employee the freedom to decide for themselves whether to work in a home office or use the company's desk sharing space.

However, the permanent use of the laptop can lead to posture problems if it is used without external devices (hardware components) for a longer period of time. Good ergonomics in the hybrid workplace is important for the safety and well-being of the employees - in the desk sharing office or elsewhere. In the company, specialised ergonomic consultants can assist in setting up a desk sharing workplaces.

At home, however, it is up to oneself to make sure that their own workplace is set up well to allow for a neutral ergonomic posture. Nowadays, we spend a lot of our daily work sitting or in front of a computer/screen. This can lead to discomfort and pain in the musculoskeletal system. It often takes a few steps to remedy this.

In this article you will find tips that you can use for your home office or your desk sharing places in the company to do something good for you and your employees. Hybrid work and desk sharing still need to be fully understood by many companies, with all the advantages and disadvantages that come with the modern work concept. 

Overview of the situation 

At home, home office furniture is usually a chair, armchair or sofa connected to a desk, dining table or coffee table. Furniture like this was not designed for working at a computer screen! Businesses, on the other hand, usually have well-equipped desks that have been specially set up for office work. Office workplaces used for desk sharing are more minimalist, but always equipped with the necessary hardware components for office work.

The choice of workspace  

Not everyone at home has their own room or space for home office work, so you don't have to set up and take down equipment every day. If you have a separate room, it should be large enough to accommodate a desk of a sufficient size and also to store your work documents. For tasks that require concentration, workers often prefer to work from home. This is due to being able to work more undisturbed than in an office with desk sharing workplaces.

Our tip: Choose a quiet place where you are not disturbed by noise during the day (children's room, washing machine, street, building sites, TV, etc.). It is also important to provide quiet desk-sharing workplaces in the office so that all those who cannot or do not want to work in a home office can find a suitable environment for concentrated work.

The choice of the desk and the chair 

A work surface or desk with a surface area of 160 x 90 cm is ideal, allowing you to carry out the tasks and install the material required for the workplaces (screen(s), mouse and keyboards). Use your existing resources! If you are not sure about this, it is also worth taking a look at how your company has set up and equipped the desk sharing workplaces.

1. A standard desk: A simple and minimalist desk with a straight edge to facilitate access to the armrests.
2. A height-adjustable desk: Height-adjustable desks are an excellent choice and offer the ideal solution for the home office. For example, you can use an LED control panel to set the correct height and save it as a preset. An additional advantage is the greater legroom and the possibility to add a fitness treadmill or similar. Height-adjustable desks are also suitable for desk sharing in hybrid work environments, so that all colleagues can work optimally in the company and benefit from desk sharing in terms of health.
3. An innovative technology table to discover: This is a low table that can be transformed into a complete computer station. It is called a job table and is ideal for small flats - rather less suitable for desk sharing in the company.
4. The surface of a living room or kitchen table: This last option is not recommended if possible, as it often limits comfort - remember: the home office workplace should be similarly equipped to your company's desk sharing workplaces.

Not all of us have a high-quality chair for working in the home office for long periods of time. Several things can be considered when choosing a chair: 

1. A simple chair, preferably with back support: Our tip: Use a cushion or towel to support your lower back and sit comfortably. You can also use a storage box, catalogues or magazines as a footrest.
2. A standard office chair: You can also choose an adjustable task chair to provide a comfortable and neutral sitting posture. Whenever possible, the following criteria should be considered: a comfortable and adjustable office chair with armrests that do not interfere with the work surface. Adjustable office chairs should also be considered in the office when setting up desk sharing workplaces. 
3. A fitness bike/desk bike for the home office: The fitness bike offers a comfortable sitting experience and could be an alternative to a traditional office chair. A sedentary lifestyle leads to many health problems. This desk bike is a health and wellness solution that could pay dividends in the home office. 

In general, you should avoid sitting on sofas and armchairs that do not have a sufficiently firm seat. This tempts you to slouch. Our tip: Regardless of which seat you choose, it is important to take breaks and move around to relieve muscle tension and help your muscles recover.

When desk sharing in the company, pay attention to particular workplaces and analyse in more detail how they show up in the frequency of occupancy over time - further measures can be derived from this.

A pleasant working atmosphere at home

Daylight, a pleasant temperature, fresh air and plants create a pleasant atmosphere in the home office and desk sharing office. Ideally, the desk and screen should be perpendicular to the windows to avoid reflections and be easy on the eyes.

Our tip: The ideal room temperature is 21 to 23 degrees. Open the windows wide once an hour for three to five minutes. That is enough and also dispels tiredness.

And finally: Watch out for falls! Don't forget to organise the course of power cables so that you are not hindered when moving around and there is no risk of falling - this also applies to the company-based desk sharing workplaces for Hybrid Work.

How to avoid postural constraints at work? 

Longer continuous use of the laptop (> 2 hours) should be avoided. This is because the small size of the keyboard poses a problem for ergonomic posture, which can lead to posture problems even with short use. If you spend many hours hunched over looking at your laptop, this will cause neck, shoulder and back pain. For this reason, it is important to combine the following with your laptop:

• An external keyboard and mouse connected to the laptop allows the laptop screen to be raised to eye level.  
• An external monitor connected to the laptop.  

The correct screen height is particularly important for working at the computer, both in private environments and in companies with desk sharing workplaces. The monitor is correctly adjusted when the top edge is at eye level. The distance to the screen should be at least 50 cm, depending on the diameter of the screen. The larger the screen, the greater the distance should be (15 inch at least 50 cm / 17 inch at least 60 cm / 19 inch at least 70 cm / 21 inch at least 80 cm). If you have several screens, place them at the same height at eye level. Use a stack of books, a stack of paper or a box to place the top edge of the screen at eye level. There are also a number of laptop stands, also super for desk sharing workplaces, that you can use to stand up a laptop. Ideally, these are available at all desk sharing workplaces in the office, as are external monitors to make working easier. With the hybrid desk sharing workplace concept, every seat used should be equally ergonomically equipped!

Basically, your work equipment should be arranged in an ergonomically optimal way. The keyboard, mouse and telephone - things you use all the time - should be at a comfortable distance, about 40 cm from the edge of the desk. Not all work equipment should be placed in close proximity. Don't hesitate to put your files, books and printer on a shelf a few metres away. This way, you automatically add some movement to your daily work. Health-wise, Hybrid Work can work with the tips from home as well as from the desk-sharing office!

• Zone 1: frequent work (approx. 40 cm) e.g. keyboard, mouse or telephone
• Zone 2: short duration work (60-90 cm) e.g. perforator, stapler, etc. 
• Zone 3: Occasional work e.g. filing, etc.

For better comfort at your workplace, consider the following points:

• Your feet should rest flat on the floor or on a footrest.
• The angle of the elbow (forearm resting on the armrests and/or desk) should be straight or slightly obtuse, the forearms are close to the body.

• The hand is in the prolongation of the arm, the back is straight or slightly behind, and supported by the backrest (lumbar support).

More tips for an ergonomic home office and desk sharing workplace

Hands-free speaking and listening:Use a headset, headphones, speakerphone or computer audio system when talking on the phone or video conferencing to avoid awkward neck posture and maintain a neutral posture when listening and working at the computer.

With the desk sharing concept in the company, it is also advisable to convert the possible freed-up space into quiet zones, for example for telephoning, by optimising the workplace. 

Take breaks: To ensure that prolonged screen work does not lead to eye strain, you should consciously engage your eyes at regular intervals and at different distances. Looking out of the window, for example, relaxes the eye muscles while you look into the distance. Blinking occasionally is also recommended: it prevents dry eyes and headaches. Take water and snack breaks and stretch to avoid long periods of immobility. This tip applies to the home office as well as to desk sharing!

If you follow our tips, you should be able to work comfortably in your home office as well as at your company's desk sharing workplaces and avoid neck, back, shoulder pain, etc.