The rise of the sofa-desk

Scores of British workers are risking damage to their
physical and mental health, by doing computer work in inappropriate home office
set ups. 66% per cent of office workers confess to taking work home
‘at least twice per week’ and the majority had no home office space.

According to the research by interiors retailer Furniture123.co.uk, 78% work from
their sofa, risking repetitive strain injury, back problems and neck strain. This is despite a worrying one in four workers suffering from a
physical ailment caused by computer work.

Living rooms are the room most commonly used to work from,
followed by dining rooms, bedrooms and kitchens. Home offices came in fifth – most likely due to the small
proportion of people who have them.

Employees in professional services are most likely to take
work home, closely followed by those in the education, information and
communications, financial services and administrative / support industries.

Mark Kelly, marketing manager at Furniture123.co.uk, warned: “With
workaholic and presenteeism culture on the rise, it is not surprising that many
office workers are taking work home with them. And with the housing market as
it currently is, it’s no surprise most are settling down on the sofa to get it
done, as accommodation with a number of spare rooms gets more and more
expensive.

“But this is really bad for your posture and physical mobility in the
long term, and yet while many people are willing to invest extra hours into
their work, they are not willing to invest in the equipment which will protect
them from the damage this can eventually cause.

“Doing work in your living room is also bad from a
psychological perspective – not separating spaces from your working life can
make it difficult to switch off and relax when you eventually finish working,
and chilling out is the ultimate function of this type of room. The bedroom is
possibly the very worst space to work in, as psychologically it will be
difficult to slip into a relaxed state ready for sleep once the working day is
over.”

Furniture123.co.uk has established five tips to
turn any room into a temporary workspace and ensure a healthy home office set up:

• Be
  choosy: The room you choose to work in can effect comfort, concentration,
  productivity and stress levels. Always aim for an area in the house where you
  are unlikely to be disturbed, clutter is kept to a minimum and where you won’t
  be attempting to wind down once you’ve finished, such as the bedroom or living
  room.
• Keep
  it light: Where possible, ensure you have a good balance of both natural
  light from windows and quality artificial lighting in your workspace, in order
  to prevent strain to the eyes. You don’t necessarily have to opt for a
  dedicated desk lamp – just a good quality floor light or lamp placed near the
  workspace will do the trick.
• Out
  of sight and out of mind: Make use of drawers, a chest or curtained
  shelving to keep work-related paperwork, folders and gadgets neatly tidied away
  and out of sight, so that your home space will resemble just that when your
  working day ends – whatever time it is! – allowing you to relax without
  dwelling on it.
• Accessorise: There
  are lots of small items you can invest in, in order to increase comfort and
  lessen the strain on body and mind which staring at a screen for hours on end
  and engaging in repetitive movements, such as typing can cause. Wrist rests and
  ergonomic mouse pads will support hands and wrists, while a document holder or
  an adjustable stand placed under the computer monitor will mean your neck is
  not put under pressure from extended periods of looking at a screen which is
  placed at the wrong height.
• Sit
  right: A chair really is the one thing it is hard to substitute. The power
  of an adjustable office chair with
  the appropriate support for your lumber cannot be under-estimated. When
  properly adjusted, it will encourage you to sit up straight, support your back
  and enable you to sit at the correct height to prevent strain to the hands,
  wrists and arms developing.