Outside Home-Working: Beware the pitfalls

New research has found that four in 10 plan to move their workstation outside when remote working, despite the potential problems of outside home-working.

The study, conducted by Lenovo, found that 43% were going to conduct their work day outside so they could soak up some sun in the process.

Taking advantage of the warmer weather, employees are looking to change their workstation set-up. But with an unconventional arrangement comes problems:

Beware sunshine and glare when outside home-working

Although temperatures may be improving, the sun may cause problems to workers who will struggle to see their screens. The glare may cause issues with viewing documents but there is also the problem of overheating of equipment.

As temperatures rise in the summer months, being in direct sunlight is far from ideal for IT equipment and is not advised.

Unconventional seating

Outside home-workers will more than likely opt for a range of chairs to sit on, most with inappropriate back support for long hours in front of a laptop.

Garden chairs are primarily built for sitting on for shorter periods, or for lying down on should they stretch out. Neither is appropriate for a whole day of work, meaning aches and pains could become problematic.

Noise distractions

Workers will probably find they are not the only ones outside enjoying the warmer weather, with neighbours sure to take advantage of the sunshine too. That can lead to increased noise and activity which is sure to be a distracting feature of the home-working environment.

By separating from as much noise and distraction as possible, workers will have a better chance to focus and be more efficient.

If you are a company that wants to engage with home-working staff, contact our team today to find out how our HCPC registered medical professionals can help with a remote workstation assessment scheme

How does it work?

A member of our team will set-up a video call to examine the work set-up of each individual employee nominated for the scheme.

Offering guidance and advice throughout the call, the Onhealth team member will then compile a detailed report which allows for future improvements and continuous enhancement of the remote workstation.

The benefits are numerous and tangible; contact us to discuss these further, or call our team on 0344 576 1679 to find out more.