Improving your Hybrid Working

IF YOU ARE WORKING FROM HOME - MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU

Chairs

you may have started working at home and just grabbed a dining room chair and sat down. A normal chair may be ok for a meal, but for sitting at all day and using a computer a properly designed office chair does the job far better and leads to far less lower back pain due it its ergonomic design.

The author of this post made the decision, early in the first UK lockdown, to go to the office and stake claim to his chair and to take it home. It was a good decision.

Webcams

The inbuilt laptop webcam may work, but when you upgrade to a free-standing webcam with integral microphone which can deliver clearer image transmission as well as stereo sound, you may well find that your WFH video calls are all the more vivid.

Webcams have also been very useful for home schooling scenarios – allowing online interaction between teacher and student.

Monitors

A lot of our home based staff have realised that working from a laptop may sound nice, but for many screen based activities a larger screen ( or two screens ) is desirable. Most laptops have a 15’6 inch screen – measured diagonally. A nice large screen can replace or work in conjunction with your existing set up.

Headsets

The onset of lockdown saw many people rush home with USB headsets – these are the most basic ( and very useful ) method of headset connection. The U in USB stands for universal, and apart from the now clash of USB-A and USB-C, a USB headset will work with pretty much any platform and offer seamless connection and operation of platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, GoToMeeting etc. This basic operation is good, but as with other products there is always something better.

We have seen increased demand for higher end wireless and Teams certified headsets which allow easy one touch access to additional functionality as well as the ability to get up and walk around. These, more ‘sophisticated’ headsets. are available from the likes of Jabra, Plantronics and EPOS | Sennheiser

Mouse and Keyboard

Once you are used to a particular layout and feeling from these input devices it is difficult to be as productive when using inferior or just different products.
Upgrading your home mouse/ keyboard set up is like giving yourself a small present.

We now have a range of Cherry Wireless Keyboards and Mouse Combinations.

Speakerphones

Another alternative to the USB headset is the option to use a small desktop speakerphone. These can connect to your PC / device via either wired or Bluetooth ( dependent on the model ) and provide a very comfortable way of taking part in conferences or online conversations. If you have a lot of background noise they may not be suitable though as they pick up everything.

Powered Air

We have always sold powered air devices. These are PAPR breathing respirators from the 3M Versaflo Range and commonly they have been used in manufacturing, painting, construction, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and other areas where there is a potential threat from particulates or noxious gases.

As there is the necessity nowadays for close contact workers ( either working from home or in medical facilities ) to minimise the risk of infection ( particularly of COVID-19 coronavirus ) the Versaflo Powered air Kits have been of great interest to Dentists and other medical professionals.