Low cost ways to improve your home office

5 low cost tips to revamp your home office and prevent back and neck pain

September 30, 2021 1:13 PM

If your work-from-home set up involves your bed or a couch, it’s time for an ergonomic reset.

As employees switched from office desks to kitchen tables, ergonomics may not have been top priority. But more than a year and a half into at-home work, bad home office arrangements are catching up with us.

“Ergonomic injuries are ones that usually happen slowly over time,” says Lisa Orr, senior human factors consultant at claims management provider, Sedgwick. “It's not like you can pinpoint that on Tuesday I started hurting. It's generally something that sneaks up on you over time, so the longer you keep working in that awkward posture, the higher your risk is.”

Forty-five percent of people say their primary workspace is their couch, and 38% work from their beds, according to a study by CraftJack, a home improvement marketing firm. This could account for the 50% of people who say their neck and back pain has worsened since the start of COVID, according to a scientific research report. Poor posture and incorrect ergonomics can lead to musculoskeletal disorders like carpal tunnel, muscle strain and rotator cuff injuries, costing employers $20 billion per year in workers comp claims, healthcare expenses, absenteeism and lost productivity.

But imitating the benefits of a corporate environment doesn’t have to be an overly expensive undertaking. There are simple and cost-effective solutions to make sure you’re set up for success now, and avoid pain later. Orr shared her top five tips for an optimal home office.

Do a body scan

“Take a look at your setup: Are you comfortable with sitting back in your chair? Are you getting support from a backrest? Are your feet supported when you're sitting in your chair? Can you sit close to your keyboard and avoid reaching forward when you’re typing? You want your keyboard and mouse to be roughly the same level as your elbow height, with your shoulders relaxed. Then your screen should be aligned to where the top of the screen is about eye-level."

Look around your house for free fixes

“If you’re looking at your setup and your feet aren't touching the floor, there's a lot of things you could probably find around your house to use as foot rest. For your computer, you could raise your monitor using a thick book. Get creative with low-cost options before buying something fancy from the office supply store.”

Get your employer involved

“If an employer were to

offer a stipend

to set up a home office, provide guidance on what would be a wise purchase, or have a list of pre-approved furniture or accessories to choose from. You don’t want employees to spend their stipend on a beautiful desk that’s too high. Employers can also let employees take equipment home from the office, like monitors or keyboards. They can also explore their vendor relationships to get a good discount they can extend to their employees.”

Invest where it counts

“A chair is important because if you're going to be sitting for long periods, I want you to be sitting supported. You should be able to lean back against the backrest and provide yourself with some lumbar support. You should be able to sit close to your desk. But you don't have to go expensive on the chair; you could find an inexpensive chair that just happens to fit you appropriately. Try going to a used office furniture store or google used office furniture. There are places that buy used furniture and you can find name-brand chairs that are gently used for a third of the price.”

Mix up your at-home work routine

“Think about ways to rearrange your day to

provide some breaks

from sitting. There are ways you could take disguised breaks from sitting: you could stand up when you're taking a phone call, or bring your laptop to the kitchen counter to attend a meeting. But I don’t recommend that for long periods, because the laptop screen might be too low. If you’re attending a meeting where you're in listen-only mode, that would be a great time to plug in your headset and walk around.”