Making the home office work

The new realities of working from home

This summer, many people are working from home for the first time—and there may be no turning back. In fact, there seems to be minimal resistance on the part of top-tier business leaders who have noted how well workers perform out of the office. And many of those who went home to work now envision staying there indefinitely. 

This is a watershed moment in the history of the office. In May, Gensler conducted a survey which revealed that 70% of employees want to work from home multiple days a week post-pandemic. Similarly, a Microsoft survey of managers revealed that 82% will support flexible work-from-home policies long term. Whatever the scale of WFH, this phenomenon raises questions about space, wellness, and productivity.     

Space

One of the challenges of WFH is simply that of space. If a dedicated home office requires about 60 square feet of floor space, where do I find that space? Is there a guest room or a corner of the kitchen available? Maybe a sunporch or a garden shed? 

The average size of a home in North America is 2400 square feet. However, 20% of people now live in condominiums and apartments, a number which continues to rise. On average, a new-build condo is a mere 882 square feet with considerable variation from city to city (1038 sq. ft. in Tallahassee, 771 sq. ft. in Seattle). How does one stake out a dedicated space for work in a condo? And how do we organize and equip a space in order to work efficiently and comfortably, averting distraction or the lack of a boundary between work and home?

Wellness

Potential psychological stresses do exist. Working from home has revealed a collective reluctance to “clock off,” allowing work to encroach upon every evening, every weekend. To combat the “never off effect,” we need a physical or symbolic cue that signals completion. Ideally, I can shut a door and “leave” work. Or, if the dining room serves as a makeshift office, I can close and stow my laptop and clear the table of work tools—a signal to switch off for the day.

All that we have learned by designing healthy, human-centered offices also applies to the home. We need fresh air and daylight and a set-up suitably outfitted for work. Ergonomics is critical. A desk or table must be at proper work height. Even better, a height-adjustable desk enables standing or seated work. A monitor or laptop should sit at eye level to prevent leaning forward and the consequent neck and back strain. And while a kitchen stool is fine for short bursts of work, over the long haul, everyone needs a good, height-adjustable chair that supports a healthy posture.

In recent years, “active design” has helped to improve well-being in the office. We need to stand up, stretch, and move around at home as well. In the office we get up to go to a meeting, step out for lunch, or walk across the office to chat with a co-worker. At home we may have to be reminded to take a break, make a cup of tea, or go outside for a moment. On the other hand, we may find time for an early run or a late afternoon walk minus that hour-long commute.

 As more employees work remotely–sometimes or always—the “duty of care:” becomes more complex. Employers bear a responsibility for a safe and healthy workplace that extends beyond company-owned property. WFH and the blurring of work and home life complicate that responsibility—or liability. It’s in the best interests of all to have clear policies and arrangements that promote health and mitigate problems such as repetitive stress injury.   

Productivity

Recently, I came to the realization that until this year I have never actually "worked" from home. I’ve left my office to focus on a specific task, but I have never "worked" at home. Work is multi-faceted. It is comprised not only of solo tasks, but also learning and mentoring, planning and collaborative problem-solving—which often means leaving my desk to confer with a colleague or brainstorm with my team. The office where I work is designed to facilitate all of this and more with a variety of spaces, furniture, and equipment.       

How productive we are at home, in all the forms that work may take, depends in part on whether I have a single office space (with a door that can be closed), share an office with a partner, or work in the middle of a household with homeschooled children and lively pets in the mix The footprint and “culture” of every home is unique. Whatever the circumstance, productivity requires finding ways to define one’s workspace or at the least, using a set of headphones to block noise and indicate that one is “at work.”

Clearly, WFH is a bit complex. Where, when and how will work occur?  Is it possible to actually do all of my job, and do it well, at home? What do I need to reduce stress and improve productivity?   We believe that with planning, a perhaps some improvisation, there’s no need for a lot of stuff to make a home office work—just the right stuff 

Planning the Home Office

Years ago, technology freed us to move, to shift from tasks at our desks to collaborative spaces and social settings where the sparks of interaction create a sense of camaraderie. Mobility allowed us to vary our experience from hour to hour and day to day and often led to greater productivity and wellness. How can we create a comparable efficiency, flexibility and variety at home? 

We see three forms of home office set-ups occurring.

1.    Non-Dedicated Home Office Space

In this scenario one moves throughout the home over the course of the day, supported by tools that sync with home furnishings to ensure comfort and functionality. We can vary our experience by moving to a sofa paired with a laptop stand. Or, we can use a task chair at the dining room table or pair the dining room chair with a height-adjustable table.

2.    Designated Home Office Space

If we have a designated space as our home office, we can furnish it with a task chair and a desk or a height-adjustable table and credenza. A mix of furniture—including height-adjustable surfaces—will allow us to move between sitting and standing, with the health benefits that derive from shifting posture. 

3.    The New Flexible, integrated Space

The new realities of space limitations , productivity requirements and wellness are demanding more of home office solutions. Depending upon available space, we need to create multi-functional spaces , simple building blocks, that allow us to shape and re-shape a space with seated and/or standing-height desks, children’s study tables, and large tables that accommodate couples who work in the same space. Also required are consideration that we cant always be "on" and need to shut down and return to our lives at the end of the day, BeneBox is one such solution ; with hope of many more on the way