Dream home-office essentials: 9 tools remote workers need

If your workers are still using their dining room table as a makeshift at-home office, you’re probably not getting the most of their productivity — but employers can change that.

Two years into the pandemic, it’s clear that remote work is here to stay: Upwork estimates that there will be 36 million remote workers by 2025 in the U.S. alone, meaning employers will be responsible for just as many home office setups as in-office ones. California law already requires employers to cover necessary costs that are incurred on the job, which can include desks, computers and relevant utility bills.

But regardless of laws, it will be crucial to invest in the equipment employees spend eight hours a day using, says Sami Bouremoum, co-founder and CEO at Hofy, a company that works to distribute equipment to remote workers around the world.

Read more: Ready to grow your business? This startup is giving your workforce the tools they need to thrive

“If you give someone an extra $1,000 or $2,000 on a home setup, what you gain in productivity is going to pay for itself,” says Bouremoum. “To not is a false economy.”

Hofy created a checklist of tools (complete with preferred products) that workers should be provided with in order to be successful at home.