Office Workstation Design Tips for Employee Productivity
If you want to achieve an office culture with happy and engaged employees, begin by reevaluating your office workstation design. The working environment, where about ninety percent of people’s time is spent, matters more than you might realize.
Initiating an effective design is necessary for facilitating employee wellbeing and productivity. Here are six office workstation design tips to implement an attainable and smart design that caters to your office culture:
Choose an Ergonomic Keyboard and Mouse
Don’t assume that all computer keyboards and mouses are made equal. Generic models generally lack both the features and ergonomic design of their premium counterparts. If you’re still using a generic keyboard and mouse, consider upgrading to a premium keyboard and mouse with an ergonomic design.
An ergonomic keyboard has a curved design in which the rows of keys are slightly angled rather than horizontal, whereas an ergonomic mouse is slightly raised so that you can hold and use it naturally. Ergonomic computer peripherals such as these reduce stress on your wrists to protect against carpal tunnel syndrome and related repetitive stress injuries.
Upgrade Your Office Chair
According to a study conducted by researchers at Cornell University, roughly half of all workers suffer from back pain. Not surprisingly, rates of back pain are higher among office workers than workers in other industries or sectors. When you sit in place for up to eight hours a day, you may develop back pain. This is because sitting increases pressure on your intervertebral discs 300% more than that of standing.
Install a Document Holder
A document holder is an invaluable tool for a productive office workstation. As the name suggests, it’s designed to hold one or more documents. Without a document holder, you’ll have to lay documents flat on your desk. Of course, it’s difficult to view documents for long periods of time in this position. Using a document holder, though, you can place documents next to your computer monitor, allowing you to read them more quickly and with greater ease.
Personalize Your Workstation With Decorations
Personalizing your office workstation with decorations does more than just improve its aesthetics. Workers are more productive in personalized workstations than generic, non-personalized workstations. It’s unknown exactly how or why personalized workstations promote productivity, but the evidence is clear: Workers tend to produce more work in less time if personalized environments that are unique to their respective personal identity.
Increase Lighting
The amount of lighting in your workstation can affect your productivity. If your workstation is poorly lit, you may struggle to read text on your computer monitor as well as text on paper documents. Studies have even shown a direct correlation between workplace lighting and productivity and well-being. Therefore, you must ensure your office workstation has adequate lighting.
Place Telephone Within Arm’s Reach
If you regularly use a telephone – not your smartphone – in your line of work, place it within arm’s reach at your office workstation. If you’re forced to roll to the opposite end of your workstation to access the telephone, you’ll waste a substantial amount of time that could be used for other, more productive tasks. For an ideal office workstation, the telephone should be within arm’s reach, meaning you can grab it without moving your chair or body. By keeping the telephone close by, you’ll be able to answer and place calls more quickly.
