According to the Office for National Statistics, a significant proportion of the UK’s workers – 28% – reported being both based at home and travelling to work between September 2022 and January 2023. So it may have mushroomed during the pandemic, but homeworking has remained a part of working life long after restrictions eased. And remote and hybrid operations are here to stay.
And since homeworking can be isolating, it’s up to companies to support staff who are based remotely, even if just some of the time. Employees are, of course, likely to be more productive and happier as a result.
From hours of work to expenses, workstation health and safety, confidentiality and data protection, as well as how performance will be monitored and reviewed, there’s a lot to think about. Another thing to consider is the supplies they’ll need to keep working efficiently.
Obviously, it can only be to the good if your staff have everything they need to do their jobs properly. After all, you would be doing the same if they were in the office, so kitting them out at home really isn’t any different.
Have a good think about what your home-based staff might need, and be clear on what you can and cannot provide. Equally, it’s worth having a policy on equipment for use at home and expectations for how people will look after and return it if and when they leave, and how and when they can collect items from the office.
Here are some office items to think about:
- Office chair
As an employer, you’re obliged by law to give your teams an adequate workstation and regular DSE assessments. So it’s important that your staff are literally sitting comfortably while they’re working for you, even if they’re not physically at work. And while most people are happy with standard office chairs, some may need something a little more specialist providing say, a headrest to support the neck, or lumbar support.
If your staff don’t already have an adequate one at home, you may want to think about providing office desks. And in terms of general workstation comfort, it’s worth thinking about supplying things like wrist rests.
- Office stationery
Make sure your home-based staff have everything they need in the way of stationery, including pens, paper and so on – it can be really frustrating if you run out of items like this. Ensure workers are well stocked up, so that their working day doesn’t grind to a halt. Don’t forget things like highlighter pens, books and notepads, Post-it notes, paperclips and envelopes. While these items may seem trivial, it can be more annoying than you’d think when you suddenly find you don’t have any of them.
- Printer cartridges
Clearly, if your business is trying to do its bit for the environment by encouraging people to print less, that’s a laudable aim. But we all need to print some documents off from time to time, so make sure your staff can do that and have the right printer cartridges. That saves time over, say, having to leave the house to print out elsewhere which, again, can cause frustration, not to mention additional expense.
You may also want to supply your home-based staff with printer paper.
- Shredders
This could be important if your workers are handling sensitive or confidential documents offsite. Having shredders will dispose of any paperwork like that safely and securely.
Talk to us at Octopus Office
At Octopus Office, we supply all the above products and more so that your staff have everything they need to be as productive as possible when they’re away from the workplace. Browse online and call us on 0161 429 8118, or email sales@octopus-office.co.uk if you can’t find what you’re looking for.
We’re based in the north-west and offer same-day delivery with our own fleet of vans across the region. But we also offer rapid whole delivery across the UK. Alternatively, pick up your order yourself from our trade counter in Stockport.