The last few years have pushed many of us to adapt our homes to be able to telework. Despite best efforts, the family home remains a far cry from a conventional office space for many and can be difficult to concentrate in.
In partnership with Entrac, we've prepared a Q&A guide from an SPI webinar (available at the bottom of the page) with all the resources you need to ensure your comfort and efficiency when working from home.
In this webinar, we covered:
- How to install and adjust your home workstation
- How to work efficiently with your laptop computer
- How to define the ideal place to operate at home
- Our creative tips to be even more ergonomic
TELEWORKING: THE BIG QUESTIONS
1. CAN WE WORK ON OUR COUCH?
We do not recommend working on the couch, even though it is cozy and comfortable! The fact is that when you work, you don’t want to be snug and comfortable. You want something stable.
The back: The cushions on sofas are often too soft and do not allow for good posture.
Lying down does not support your back, even if you use pillows.
The neck: Ultimately, leaning backward is not a good position for the neck. With the laptop on our legs, this leads to a very important flexion at the neck level, which causes a lot of fatigue.
In today’s context where we do much less outdoor activities and sit on our couch much more often watching the television, we should rather get up and go work on our kitchen counter, for example, when we start to feel pressure points.
2. IS LIGHTING IMPORTANT?
Absolutely! If you work in the kitchen, the door or window may bring in a lot of light. Here are two situations that should be avoided:
Light directly behind us: The light will reflect directly onto the screen
The light directly behind the laptop: the light could create a backlight situation.
These two scenarios are not recommended as they are demanding on the eyes and cause fatigue.
The ideal is to sit perpendicular to the window, if possible, without direct light. For example, close the curtains or sit where there is no direct light.
3. WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE ANGLE OF THE SCREEN? SHOULD I TILT MY COMPUTER FORWARD OR BACKWARD?
There is no right or wrong answer to this question as it all depends on the brightness. It’s a matter of playing with your screen to tilt it so that you can better see the information and not see a reflection.
4. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT BLUE LIGHT LENSES IN THIS TELEWORK ENVIRONMENT?
At this time, there is very little scientific research that has looked at this topic independently. A few studies mention that blue light could be harmful to the long-term health of the eye and that the lenses could help reduce fatigue and migraines. At this time, we don’t have a clear answer; however, these lenses remain a viable option for some individuals. There is also some software available, for example on Windows 10, which can reduce blue light at the screen level.
5. WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDED HEIGHT FOR WORKING AT A TABLE?
The recommended height is the height that suits you. Your work surface should be at the height of your elbow when your shoulder is relaxed, which is just below your elbow. This recommendation applies whether you are working at a table or standing.
Do you have other questions about ergonomics? SPI can help you!
