Published
March 10, 2024
According to the latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Scotland has seen the biggest increase in people working from home (WFH). The data reveals that in the last pre-pandemic quarter of October to December 2019, 4.7 million people in the UK worked from home.
The latest figures for the first quarter of 2024 show that this has more than doubled to 9.9 million. However, there were some significant regional variations. For example, in Scotland, the increase was 204 per cent, which represents about half a million people. Overall, 30.2 per cent of Scottish people WFH, compared to 16.4 per cent in Northern Ireland.
A report by Aberdeen Live suggests that this figure may be even higher. A 2022 survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found that 15 per cent of Scottish employees work from home full time, while a further 39 per cent of employees have a hybrid working pattern whereby they split their time between home and the office.
This suggests that WFH is more than just a passing phase created out of necessity during the pandemic; it is here to stay. Many people prefer the time and cost-saving aspects of not having to commute to an office. It suits people who may need flexible working hours due to caring commitments, and it is ideal for work that requires deep concentration.
The trend for remote working has led to a rise in the demand for home office furniture. While WFH can bring a multitude of benefits, it has also seen a rise in the number of people complaining about work-related musculoskeletal problems.
It is feared that the new working practices mean that some people are working without the right equipment or office set-up that can help to prevent issues such as chronic neck and back pain. They may also be less physically active than they would be if they commuted to an office, and more likely to put off seeking treatment when they need it.
It is thought that many potential cases of chronic back or neck pain could be prevented with the right approach to office design. Here are some pointers to help create an ergonomic home office that maximises your physical comfort and enhances productivity.
If you do not have a spare room that you can dedicate to an office, choose a quiet corner and if possible zone it off with room dividers, or even just furniture such as a bookcase. This creates your own space where you can be undisturbed, and also provides a psychological barrier between your work and home life.
The foundation of a good ergonomic set up is a chair that is comfortable and supports you in a neutral posture. Look for adjustable height so that you can sit with your feet flat on the floor and your elbows at right angles or a little more to the desk. Ideally, it should have armrests and be gently curved towards the case to provide full support for your lower back.
A chair with castor wheels is useful so that you can easily move around and reach for items from shelves or drawers without having to tilt or twist your body at awkward angles. Check that the castor wheels are compatible with your flooring; if not, you could buy a hard wearing flat weave rug to protect it.
Ensure that you can fit your legs comfortably under the desk and your arms are in a natural position when you are working at a keyboard. Ideally, the desk should be fully adjustable to a standing position so that you can vary your posture throughout the day. This eases the amount of pressure on your spine and hips, reducing the chance of developing backache.
Place your monitor at arm’s length away from you, so that the top of the screen is at eye-level or just below. The keyboard and mouse should be positioned within easy reach, and can be shaped to enhance your comfort if you find that you experience pain in your wrists or finger joints.
Ideally, your desk should be placed near an indirect natural light source, with no artificial light that glares on the screen or causes eye strain.
Finally, remember to take regular breaks to do some stretching or go for a short walk. This helps to ease the strain and stress placed on your body from prolonged periods of sitting, and also refreshes you mentally.
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We had our walk in wardrobe designed and fitted by komandor. Great service throughout and very good value for money. Work was done to high standard and in good time. Would definitely recommend.
One word.... PERFECT. We decided to go with KOMANDOR after a very impressive initial planning meeting at their showroom in Aberdeen. This company "ooze" professionalism in every area, from customer service, design, offering honest advice, right to a NO FUSS fitting and instalation to an excellent standard of finish. The Carpenter arrived as arranged and was extremely respectful throughout the entire fitting of 2 fully fitted wardrobes. I'm amazed at how clean he worked with minimal noise and to produce a level of proffessional finish that my OCD can only dream of. KOMANDOR deliverd excellence from start to finish, thankyou to Lucas and the team. Would highly recommend and WILL be back myself to discuss bedside cabinates. 5 🌟
Komandor recently fitted new wardrobe doors for us. We got exactly what we wanted with high quality materials and a quick and efficient installation. In addition, Aga and the team helped to organise the work to take into account the fact that my wife is severely disabled. I would highly recommend this company.
Komandor fitted a wardrobe in a small bedroom in hopes to give back some space. The place now looks completely different, got new space, wardrobe looks classy and super sleek. They did an amazing job! Very happy with it.
Moved into a place which had the main bedroom in the attic. The roof angles meant ‘normal Ikea wardrobes wouldn’t be an effective use of the alcoves. We got a quote from Sharps and Komandor. Komandor was cheaper - worth noting both quotes were quite a bit higher than I initially expected but seems to be the going rate.The cupboards were installed probably a month after placing the order, the fitter was very good and left the room in a tidy state. There were two issues noticed post job, one being a scratch on a door, the other being a drawer not closing smoothly. I got in contact with them and they ordered a new door and fixed that and the drawer in one go. Cannot complain. Hopefully these will last many many years!
Komandor Aberdeen have just installed a fitted wardrobe in one of my bedrooms and we will use their services again!!! Every aspect of their service has been 1st Class right from the initial home visit through to a visit at their Rosemount premises and then the fitting. The Rosemount visit confirmed our initial positive impression of the quality of Komandor’s product and staff. All our questions were answered and the wide variety material options we were shown were very impressive. The wardrobe has been fitted and we are absolutely delighted with the finished product and the extremely professional manner in which it was fitted.When we look back at the other options we looked at we are so pleased that we chose Komandor who, in our view, were streets ahead of the competition. We have to thank Facebook for our choice as it was through Fb that we first saw the good reviews given to the Komandor products. Komandor have exceeded our expectations and we are just thrilled with our new wardrobe 😊😊😊
I thouroughly recommend Daniel and his team. From the off they were very helpful with the design of our bedroom storage requirements. Very neat and tidy throughout, the finished article is of a very high standard using high quality materials. Big thanks to the Komandor team.
