Work & meetings
Home office setup checklist
Work through this checklist once when you set up a home office, then revisit the ergonomics section if your back or eyes start complaining. It moves from picking a spot to fitting your chair, screen and connection.
Choose and prepare the space
Fit the desk, chair and screen
Sort the tech and connection
Light it and set boundaries
Why a home office setup checklist works
Most home-working aches come from furniture that was never meant for a full day at a screen: a kitchen chair, a laptop flat on a table, a screen too low and too close. A setup checklist fixes the few things that matter most, in the order that matters, so you solve posture and eye strain before they become habits.
Public ergonomics guidance is consistent on the basics: forearms roughly level with the keyboard, the top of the monitor near eye level, feet supported, and the screen about an arm's length away to reduce visual fatigue. Getting those four right removes the common sources of neck, wrist and back strain. Lighting and connection are the other quiet productivity killers; glare tires your eyes within an hour, and an unstable connection breaks concentration on every call. If you work in real pain despite a good setup, see a doctor or an occupational-health adviser rather than pushing through it.
A calculator that helps
Frequently asked questions
What is the single most important thing to get right?
Screen height. A laptop sitting flat on a desk forces you to look down all day, which strains the neck. Raising the top of the screen to eye level, with a separate keyboard, fixes the most common home-working complaint in one move.
Do I need to spend a lot on a chair and desk?
No. A cushion for lumbar support, a box or stand to lift the screen, and a cheap external keyboard and mouse solve most problems. Spend on a proper adjustable chair only once you know you will work from home long term.
How do I stop glare on my monitor?
Set the desk so windows are to your side rather than in front of or behind the screen, and use indirect light. If you cannot avoid a bright window, a blind and lowering screen brightness to match the room usually clears it up.
Sources
- US OSHA. Computer Workstations eTool. www.osha.gov/etools/computer-workstations