Improved Comfort for Work-From-Home Employees Following an Employer-Provided Ergonomic Workstation and Training...

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Human Factors Engineering
• Ergonomics

Background:

• The rise of remote work necessitates understanding factors influencing employee well-being and performance outside traditional office environments.
• Assessing the impact of home office setups and training is crucial for optimizing the remote work experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of specific office equipment and ergonomics training on employee comfort and productivity during remote work.
• To identify key workstation components and training elements that contribute to improved remote work outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective survey was administered to Danish employees assessing their home workstation setup, ergonomics training, and self-reported comfort and productivity.
• Elastic-net analysis was employed to correlate workstation configurations and training with changes in comfort and productivity.

Main Results:

• Employees utilizing adjustable desks, adjustable chairs, and receiving ergonomics training reported significantly higher comfort levels.
• A combination of ergonomics training, an external keyboard, and an adjustable desk was strongly associated with enhanced productivity.

Conclusions:

• Employer-provided ergonomic equipment and targeted training programs show potential for improving remote employees' comfort and productivity.
• Limitations include the retrospective nature of the study, potentially affecting recall accuracy, and the need for broader population validation.