If we take a deeper look into the current headlines, its not so clear when people are asked specific questions about the elements of working from home and that there are some alarming differences between their home working activities and environments to their office activities and environments.
On a positive note, for those who are currently working from home, some aspects those that are most important are much more supported at home than in the office.
Individual focused work, desk-based was the most popular work activity, with 91% saying they felt adequately supported, compared to only 78% of office workers (a 13% gap) with planned meetings and telephone conversations coming second and third, both again supported better at the home, with telephone conversations showing a massive 28% gap in satisfaction.
However, activities such as learning from others, informal social interaction, hosting clients and spreading out materials scored higher in office scenarios, although their importance was not as high. Only four of the 21 activities scored higher in the office compared to the workplace.
In relation to the home working environment vs the office environment, the office really came into its own when looking at the overall workspace itself.
Employees found important features like desks, chairs, and accessories were far more satisfactory in the office than in their home.
An office chair, for instance, was deemed important by 90% of respondents, but only 54% found the one in their home satisfactory, with nearly half not pleased with their current seating situation. This can be seen across the board, with five of the nine items featured scoring better in the office than at home, including desks, printing & copying equipment, and wired networks.
Source: Leesman
How To Help Solve These Problems?
Recent finds highlight that employees, whilst enjoying their newfound autonomy of working from home are struggling to come to terms with a workplace that doesn’t have the familiar basic functional equipment, such as a height-adjustable desk and a comfortable ergonomic chair that has been adjusted according to their personal requirements.
While some employees have received funds to purchase their own home office equipment, a basic lack of ergonomic knowledge could mean not only is it not money well spent but they could cause more risks to themselves.
People are not educated on ergonomics and this is going to cause a lot of issues as they are unaware of what equipment they should be choosing. In time companies will hopefully allow a budget to help with training to make sure their employees are set up safely at home.
With the home office apparently here to stay, if not permanently, at least for the foreseeable future, the findings of the Leesman survey are clear – home is working, but there is still work to be done.
If you have any questions about homeworking or how to get your employees set up risk free at home email us at: enquiries@kos.ie