How to Create an Ergonomic Office in 7 Simple Steps
As office workers, we notoriously spend prolonged periods of time in a seated position. That’s why it’s so important to design an ergonomic office, because sitting can take up as much as 90% of our working day, give or take the odd tea break – but more on the importance of those later.
Business meetings, typing, researching, planning, reporting, analysing – the list goes on. So while the idea of sitting down for around eight hours per day may sound relaxing, the reality can be anything but if the office furniture ergonomics are all wrong.
Poor ergonomics leads to a whole host of ailments including back, neck, wrist or leg pain to name but a few. You could find yourself spending more time at the chiropractor than your desk if the ergonomics aren’t up to scratch. So to find out how to make the office more ergonomic for you, let’s start with the basics.
What is Ergonomics?
Ergonomics is the science of designing workspaces, tools and routines that support the body’s natural posture and movement throughout the working day. It aims to reduce strain while improving comfort and productivity. In an office setting, ergonomics is all about creating an environment that works with you rather than against you – it helps to ease tiredness, prevent repetitive strain injuries and keep you focused throughout the day.
As you design an ergonomic office, it’s not just about your office chairs and computer desks. You’ll need to consider everything from wrist and lumbar support to monitor stands and footrests – any equipment that plays a central role in maintaining a healthy posture to prevent long-term discomfort.
How to Achieve an Ergonomic Office
To successfully set up an ergonomic office, it’s important to be consistent with the standard of equipment available. If a chair breaks, a laptop stand goes missing or your mouse is nowhere to be seen, it’s vital to make a like-for-like replacement at the earliest opportunity to regain that previous level of comfort.
You may wish to carry out regular risk assessments, ensuring the equipment meets current standards and that employees are comfortable. Plus, an open-door policy or well-known replacement process is also a great idea for staff members to request necessary equipment via an internal system – or by simply approaching the office manager, HR or designated employee who may be in charge of this area.
When all equipment is available, follow these simple steps on how to set up an ergonomic office or workstation.
1. Take Time to Adjust Your Chair
Choose an ergonomic office chair that’s fully adjustable in order to support your spine. Adjust the height of your chair so that your feet are flat on the floor, or footrest if preferred.
Adjust the backrest to keep your posture in check – you don’t want to allow your spine to curve, and you should be sat upright at all times. Then if your chair has armrests, adjust these so your arms gently rest on them with your shoulders in a relaxed position.
2. Use a Footrest for Extra Support
As mentioned above, you may wish to use a footrest if your chair is still too high after adjustment. Providing a proper supportive surface for your feet elevates them to the correct height and helps to promote proper posture, improving circulation while reducing strain on the back, legs and neck.
If there are no footrests available, in the short term you may wish to improvise by using an empty box, a stack of printer paper or anything else that’s robust and can provide a firm, flat surface for your feet.
3. Clear the Clutter Around Your Desk
There should be enough clearance underneath your ergonomic desk for your legs to sit comfortably, allowing complete freedom of movement with enough room to keep your feet flat on the floor. Consider a corner desk for maximising your available space.
If the floor space beneath your desk is used as a dumping ground, then it’s time to invest in some appropriate storage such as pedestal drawers or an office cupboard – these units will help you keep your desk area clutter-free.
4. Find the Perfect Monitor Position
Place your monitor directly in front of you, with the top of the screen at eye level, or just below if needs be. The monitor should be arm’s length away and directly behind your keyboard. Play around with the tilt until you reach a comfortable setting – consider using a monitor arm to achieve the best position, or a riser if you’re using a laptop screen.
5. Keep Your Keyboard and Mouse Level
Your mouse should be on the same level as your keyboard, to the left or right. It should be easily accessible so you don’t have to overstretch to reach it. Your upper arms should remain close to your body while using it, with your wrist straight and your forearm relaxed. Consider using wrist support such as a foam rest to offer additional support.
6. Avoid Talking and Typing
While multi-tasking might be considered an art form in some offices, the truth is when it comes to using a telephone and typing, the two should never be combined. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of answering the phone while typing – cue resting the handset between your shoulder and ear while you talk and type. However, doing so regularly can be detrimental to your overall health. Therefore, if answering the phone is a large part of your role, then it’s worth investing in a headset.
7. Maintain Proper Desk Organisation
Keep regularly used items close by. Everyday equipment such as a notepad, stationery, calculator, telephone and diary should be kept within easy reach, reducing the need to overstretch. Any items that are less frequently used can be kept towards the back of your desk or in drawers – this can include filing, invoices, admin documents and other folders.
How to Relieve the Symptoms of Poor Ergonomic Office Design
Taking regular breaks away from your computer not only enables you to stretch your muscles, but also keeps your posture in check and reduces the risk of repetitive strain injury. Plus, it gives your mind a break too!
So, if you feel the afternoon slump coming on, take a few minutes to step away from your desk and have that all-important tea break, then return feeling refreshed and recharged – after all, a happy workforce is a productive workforce!
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Ergonomic Office Furniture FAQs
Ergonomics is a study into the efficiency of people in their workplace, so an ergonomic office is one that ensures the worker is comfortable at all times. An ergonomic office helps employees to work efficiently, especially over long periods of time during a typical working day.
Ergonomic office equipment can include any item of furniture or accessories designed to make your working life more comfortable. To achieve an ergonomic office, you must supply your team with ergonomic office furniture such as height-adjustable chairs, desks, monitor stands and laptop risers. Additional ergonomic office equipment can include wrist supports, footrests, keyboards, document holders, telephone headsets and much more.
Ergonomics is important because it helps people work comfortably, safely and efficiently. A well‑designed ergonomic office setup reduces strain on the body, lowers the risk of injuries like back pain or repetitive strain, and supports better posture throughout the day. It also boosts productivity and focus by creating a workspace that fits the user’s natural movements, rather than forcing the body to adapt.
In Summary
Ergonomics is crucial to productivity and endurance. Okay, so we’re not running marathons at our desks. But in order to sustain productivity for eight hours per day, we need to be comfortable.
If you find yourself squirming around in your seat or constantly trying to relieve neck ache throughout the day, then naturally your work rate will suffer – this could lead to missed deadlines, stress and an unhappy workforce. Comfort is key to productivity, and setting up an ergonomic office space is the best way to achieve it.
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