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As we all know remote working has seen a hugely significant increase over the past year, with all those with the ability to work from home being told to work independently away from the office. Let’s face it, we all thought that we’d back to work within a few weeks when we were told to work from home, but as the year has gone on we can only but dream of going back to the office at the moment (although, it’s beginning to look like more of a possibility soon). However, as we’ve previously looked at, many businesses are going to be looking to downsize their office space, since they have seen how productive their employees can be working from home and working in a small office environment.

In this blog, we look into the best home office accessories for remote workers that could have a positive impact on the productivity of your workforce. Interested to find out more? Keep reading!

Ergonomic Desk Chair 

Comfort is key to everything when it comes to sitting up at a computer all day, so an ergonomic desk chair has to be included on our list of the best home office accessories. Without an ergonomic chair you can risk causing problems with your posture and getting back pain. Let’s face it no one can fully concentrate if they are in pain, but you can help avoid these issues by using a chair that has been specifically adjusted to fit your height etc. This obviously benefits the employee, but employers can also benefit from ergonomic chairs, as a study found that productivity can increase by 17.7% with the use of an ergonomic chair, as a result of experiencing fewer negative symptoms throughout the day. 

Comfortable Desk 

Following on very suitably from a comfortable desk chair is a comfortable desk that is at the correct height for you. It might come as a surprise to you but you can actually overwork your shoulder and arm muscles if your desk is too high, and cause strain in your shoulders, upper back, neck and arms if your desk is too low. So if you’re looking to begin taking up more remote working or would like to improve your current remote working set up, take a look at this article from The Entrepreneur Handbook for more information on the desk height you should be aiming for and even the benefits of an adjustable or standing desk. 

A Speaker / Smart Assistant 

From a survey carried out in 2019, it was found that around half of the 2,000 Brits regularly listen to music whilst they work, and 2 out of 5 of these believed that it helps them get more done. So, what better way to put this to the test and reap the benefits than investing in a speaker to blast the tunes out whilst you work. What’s even better is that if you invest in a smart assistant, such as a Google Home or an Amazon Alexa, you can listen to music as well as setting yourself reminders and more. Think of it as your very own artificial PA! 

Plants

Most people are likely to enjoy having an aesthetically pleasing desk space, not only to keep their mind focussed and organised but also to have something to look at and add some personality to your desk. A plant provides exactly that and more, including benefits to your health! Yes, you read that correctly! They can improve air quality, reduce fatigue and sickness as well as reducing stress within your workspace. 

If you're keen on the idea of a desk plant, but aren't sure what one to get, check out this great article by Ambius, who has put together a top 10 of the best plants for your desk at work. 

Coffee Machine or Teapot 

No matter what your drink of choice is in the office, making tea or a coffee is a great way to take a 5 minute break and re-energise yourself for the tasks ahead. By having a coffee machine in your remote working environment you’ll not only benefit from a break but you can also increase your productivity from the short time away from your desk. Employers can also benefit from this, as it will reduce the time away from your desk that you may have otherwise spent going to the local coffee shop near the office, as well as boosting your health thanks to the health benefits that coffee can provide. 

A Door Hanger

It sounds bizarre, but until 2020 many of us would have thought what on earth do I need a door hanger for when working from home. But, with many people having a full home during lockdown, things can get noisy and it helps to make people aware when you are in a meeting so that no-one gets interrupted. We’ve all seen the interview in the past year where someone gets interrupted in the call, by hanging up a door hanger to let people know this helps to avoid the inevitable. This might even make number one spot on this list of best home accessories for remote working. If you’re interested in purchasing one of these, check out this great one for Zoom meetings on Etsy.com.

A Ring Light 

You might have seen people use ring lights to achieve the best selfies or film videos and until we all started remote working, this was probably the most popular use. But now, if you’re going to be working from home on a more regular basis, a ring light might be something that you look into purchasing to ensure that you everyone can see you well on a zoom call and you're not affected by the miserable weather that is happening outside. 

This will also come in handy for any occasions where you need to take a photo for work.

Wireless Phone Charger 

Finally, on our list of best home office accessories for remote workers, is a wireless phone charger. Nowadays laptops and computers require an adapter to plug in more than one or two other devices, leaving you with a choice whether to charge your phone or plug your mouse and keyboard in. With a wireless charger, all you need is a socket to plug into the electrics and you can place your phone on top to charge, avoiding the need to fuss around with leads when the phone rings but ensuring a fully charged phone for your calls. 

With more of us inevitably going to be working from home more frequently than before even once the pandemic is over, it’s obvious that there is and will continue to be a lot more home accessories out there for remote workers and their employers to benefit from. 

But these are some of our favourites that we’ve found and think will be really useful for benefitting the productivity of your business. 

Is your team going to be working from home more regularly after the pandemic is over and are you looking at downsizing your office as a result of this? At Hackworthy & Sons, we can help with your office removals, if you’re interested in finding out more contact us today.