10 Home Office Essentials for remote workers

What Are Home Office Essentials?

So, someone landed the ever-coveted and envious opportunity of working from home, or WFH as it’s called these days. Now the next crucial step is to ensure you align your productivity with your readiness for the specified job role by establishing a worthy home office. Your home office isn’t just a room—it’s the launch pad for your productivity. A well-designed workspace can transform your daily grind into a symphony of efficiency if you have the right home office essentials.

However, not all is rosy and simple if you do not have a dedicated workspace at home. Not only that, the necessary implements to achieve the said productivity must also complement your workspace in terms of equipment, furniture, facilities, and so on. Empirical research indicates a substantial positive correlation between thoughtfully designed office environments and enhanced employee productivity, with well-optimized workspaces contributing to increased productivity. ¹

While home office essentials could certainly be subject to each specific job role and the individuals’ requirements, there are a few necessities that every home office could make use of regardless of circumstances. In this post, we’ll take a look at the 10 essentials necessary for a home office.

Ergonomic Furniture

Perhaps the most important facet of any office design is the office chairs and desks which form the core of the working environment where you have to spend your entire working hours. Suffice it to say, the standard of comfort for these must be ergonomically suited to your work and individual health requirements. Research suggests using ergonomic furniture not only promotes healthy movement and natural alignment but also reduces strain and discomfort. Some essentials could be:-

• Ergonomic Chairs
• Height adjustable desks
• Drawers
• Laptop stand

Important aspects when deciding on which furniture to buy for your home office should include questions such as:-

• Is the chair comfortable enough? Does it have a lumbar, headrest, and arm support?
• Is the chair easily movable and rotatable? Does it feature height adjustment?
• Is the table big enough to house your computer or laptop, notebook, working implements, planners, other instruments or aids, etc.?
• Is the table height adjustable and is it easily movable?

To read more about the essential furniture you would require to layout your home office, read our blog.

To read about the best ergonomic office chairs, read our comprehensive buying guide.

Ample Lighting

The next big consideration is that of lighting conditions. Both artificial and natural light have an important role to play in your mental and psychological well-being during your working hours. Artificial light is essential for reading and writing whereas natural light is mandatory to let your mind and body be in sync with the time of the day. It is otherwise known how good quality natural light helps in reducing fatigue, eye strain, and wariness. Thus, contributing to an employee’s positive attitude towards work. A few important sources of light can be:-

• Ceiling Lights
• Desk Lamps
• Floor Lamps
• Natural Light through windows

Some important considerations while considering lighting sources are:-

• Is the artificial light enough at your home office setup?
• Is there any source of natural light at your home office? Any windows or outlets?
• Are the sources of natural or artificial light directly affecting your line of sight while working?

You can read more about some transformative home office lighting ideas on our blog.

Computers or Laptops

The possibility of working remotely eventually boils down to the power of having computers and the internet in our everyday lives. Needless to say, your computer or laptop is the cornerstone of your workplace productivity. Some essential items for any home office setup would invariably require all or some of the following:-

• Laptop or Computer
• Secondary Display
• Wireless Mouse
• Tablet
• Mechanical Keyboard
• Headphones
• Speakers
• High-definition webcam

And of course, depending on your work tasks or career necessities, the requirements of each certain system can change drastically but some considerations should be:-

• Is the computer or laptop suited for your specified job tasks in terms of specifications such as RAM or storage among other hardware requirements?
• Is the screen size large or small enough for your particular use?
• Do you have the requisite software support for your specific job tasks such as office productivity software such as word processors, presentation software, programming software, etc.?
• Do you have the necessary hardware peripherals to support the execution of your job tasks such as external displays, keyboards, headphones, mice, tablets, or other aides that might be necessary?

Connectivity

Without the possibility of seamless connectivity in the form of fast, high-speed internet, your ideal home office essentials are certainly not complete. From sending reports to coordinating efforts across multiple teams and discussion sessions via online meetings, your instantaneous accessibility to your colleagues, superiors, and team members in real time ensures the possibility of remote work as a challenging alternative to onsite work environments. Some thoughts one should look into are:-

• Is the speed on your internet connection fast enough to facilitate a seamless work environment while ensuring a similar experience at home? If not, an upgrade might be beneficial.
• If your main systems for work i.e. laptop, printer, tablet, phone, etc. are connected via Wi-Fi, do they have ample signal strength? If not, consider relocating the router or maybe using an extender.

Printers and Scanners

These days, printers and scanners have become ubiquitous in any work space. One of the many pitfalls of remote work include the fact the individual employee has to cater for the services which are provided for by the company in order to ensure productivity does not drop. Even if that means investing in a good printer or scanner among other utilities depending on the job role.

• Is there a lot of physical paper work required?
• Does your work require you to upload your input or reports?
• Do you require additional connectors or dongles for inter-device connectivity?

Organizers and Storage

As we discussed above, a few of the disadvantages of remote work include the burden of collective responsibilities such as storage services on the individual. At a home office, clever use of small cabin shelves and desk drawers can prove instrumental in decluttering your workspace. Furthermore, desk organizer trays can be used for easy access to essential items. A cluttered workspace can negatively impact focus, memory, and creativity. By creating a sense of order and control, and allowing easy access to necessary materials, a clean and organized workspace can significantly improve work performance. Some key elements for your home office essentials could be:-

• Desk organizer trays
• Pencil holders
• File boxes
• Magazine holders
• External hard drives
• Cable organizer trays
• Bins

Whereas an office might have dedicated record rooms and storage facilities, at home, the employee has to improvise by considering:-

• What is the amount of storage required for your specific job role? In terms of papers or reports etc.?
• Is the material confidential which could potentially require the use of a lock and key or other privacy measures?
• Do the cables and connectors require management?

Stationery

Even if you work primarily through your computer, the chances are that you tend to resort to physical notetaking during meetings and brainstorming. Any home office, or indeed office setup, is incomplete without a plethora of stationery items that the employee could potentially make use of. Some items that would perpetually be required are:-

• Pens
• Pencils
• Notebooks
• Loose pages
• Whiteboards
• Document holders
• Folders

Some points to keep in mind are:-

• What is the primary medium of notetaking that you prefer?
• How do you brainstorm ideas? Using charts, boards etc.?

You can read more about the essential stationery items required for your home office on our blog.

Productivity Tools

In every workspace, some implements exist purely to facilitate our productivity and to help us maintain our focus, so no list of home office essentials can be considered complete without them. These can be:-

• Calendars
• Desk clocks
• Sticky Notes
• Memo pads
• Timers

Security

Whether you work at a home office remotely or on-site, invariably, your employer would be conscious of the data that you handle. At a home office, this would translate to added security for your set up which can be forms such as:-

• Padlocks on drawers
• Passwords on your work profile or computer/ laptop if separate
• Strong antivirus software
• A strong Wi-Fi password
• Preferably controlled access to your home office workspace

Health and Wellness

While working at home does have lots of benefits in terms of saving time and energy on the employee’s commute, however, the occasional movement does have its benefits. And in the absence of such movement, a sedentary work ethic can become toxic. Some essential points to keep in mind to ensure your wellness are:-

• Take regular stretch breaks during work sessions and walk a little during them
• Keep yourself hydrated throughout the day
• To prevent eye strain, take regular breaks after every hour of screen activity
• Ensure your back posture and wrists do not cause discomfort or pain
• Have some greenery around you like small plants
• Personalize your desk with art, images, etc.

Importance Of Home Office Essentials

Achieving productivity at home at par or even higher than an onsite job is not only manageable but a goal most work-from-home employees should actively work towards. In saving time, energy, and effort taken to commute to the workplace, an employee can benefit and magnify his or her productivity at home provided they stick to the home office essentials.

To learn why the future of remote work is secure, read our blog in the Remote Work Section.

References

1. Ahmad, Nurbarirah & Jamin, Aziean & Mayang, Raja & Ismail, Shafinar & Sakarji, Siti Rosnita & Mohd Zain, Zainab. (2020). The Importance of Office Layout for Employee Productivity. Dinamika Pendidikan. 15. 164-171. 10.15294/dp.v15i2.26081.
   https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350500883_The_Importance_of_Office_Layout_for_Employee_Productivity ↩︎