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Running remote and hybrid teams, one habit at a time

Home office ergonomics checklist: set up a desk you can sit at all day

·6 mins
Home Office Ergonomics Home Office Workstation Setup Checklists
Table of Contents

Most home desks start life as a kitchen table and a laptop. That’s fine for a fortnight. For a permanent set-up, a few minutes with a checklist saves months of a sore neck.

This checklist pulls from two public sources: the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s computer workstation evaluation checklist and the UK Health and Safety Executive’s guidance on display screen equipment (DSE). They agree on almost everything. Where they differ, we say so. Work through it in order, because each step changes the one after it.

1. Chair first

Set the chair before you touch the desk or screen, because everything else is measured from where you sit.

  • Seat height lets your feet rest flat on the floor, or on a stable footrest if they don’t reach (OSHA).
  • Thighs are roughly parallel to the floor, lower legs roughly vertical.
  • There’s a small gap, about 2 to 3 cm, between the front of the seat and the back of your knees (HSE good posture).
  • The backrest supports your lower back. A cushion is an acceptable fix if it doesn’t.
  • Armrests, if you have them, support your forearms without pushing your shoulders up.

OSHA also wants a sturdy five-leg base and adjustments you can reach while seated. If your chair fails most of this list, our remote work policy template has a section on equipment budgets you can point your manager to.

2. Desk and keyboard

  • Keyboard sits just below elbow height, so your shoulders stay relaxed (HSE).
  • Elbows are close to your body, at about 90 to 100 degrees, with forearms roughly parallel to the floor (OSHA).
  • Wrists are straight, not bent up, down or sideways.
  • Keyboard is flat or tilted slightly away from you. Fold the little feet in if they make your wrists bend back.
  • Mouse sits right next to the keyboard, in line with your elbow, so you don’t reach for it.
  • Nothing sharp or hard presses into your wrists or forearms (the edge of a cheap desk counts).
  • There’s room under the desk for your thighs and enough space for your legs to get close.

If the desk is too high and can’t be lowered, raise the chair and add a footrest rather than shrugging all day.

3. Screen

  • Screen is directly in front of you, so you don’t twist your neck.
  • Distance is about an arm’s length. OSHA puts it at roughly 18 to 20 inches (about 45 to 50 cm).
  • Height: OSHA says the top of the screen should be at or below eye level; HSE says level with your eyes. Start at eye level and lower it slightly if you find yourself tilting your head back. If you wear bifocals or varifocals, lower it further.
  • With two monitors, the one you use most sits straight ahead and the other sits beside it.
  • No glare from windows or lamps on the screen. Turning the desk side-on to a window usually fixes it.
  • Brightness and contrast are comfortable, not set to whatever the shop left them at.

4. Laptops

A laptop on its own breaks most of the rules above: if the screen is at the right height, the keyboard isn’t, and the other way round. For anything longer than short spells, HSE suggests a separate keyboard and mouse with the laptop raised on a riser, or a separate screen altogether. A pile of books works as a riser while you wait for a proper one.

5. Light, phone and small stuff

  • Things you use often (phone, notebook, water) are within easy reach; occasional items within a stretched arm.
  • If you’re on calls for long stretches, use a headset rather than tucking the phone into your shoulder.
  • Task lighting for paper work, softer light for screen work (OSHA).
  • Document holder, if you use one, sits at the same height and distance as the screen.

6. Breaks and movement

The best set-up still hurts if you never leave it. HSE’s guidance on breaks says the law sets no fixed length, but short, frequent breaks beat long, rare ones: its example is 5 to 10 minutes every hour rather than 20 minutes every two hours. A break can be a change of task, like a phone call taken standing up. OSHA’s checklist also recommends alternating between sitting and standing and building small breaks into the task itself.

If you manage home workers

This part is for team leads and ops people. It’s a summary, not legal advice; check local employment law and the official source for your country.

In Great Britain, HSE says the DSE rules can apply to people who work from home permanently, long term, or who regularly split their week between home and office, if they use a screen daily for continuous spells of an hour or more (HSE home working). In short:

  • An assessment is expected, but a home visit usually isn’t. Workers can self-assess with a checklist like this one if they’ve had suitable training.
  • If the assessment shows equipment is needed, the worker can’t be charged for it.
  • A DSE user can ask for an eye test, which the employer pays for. The employer only pays for glasses if the user needs special ones for screen distance (HSE eye tests).
  • Review arrangements when something changes or someone reports aches.

In the US, OSHA says its eTools don’t create new requirements, so treat the checklist as recommended practice rather than a rule. It still makes a sensible standard for any remote team. Adding it to your remote employee onboarding checklist means new starters set up properly in week one rather than month six.

The checklist to print 

HOME OFFICE ERGONOMICS CHECK (redo every 6 months or after any move)

CHAIR
[ ] Feet flat on floor or footrest
[ ] Thighs roughly level, 2-3 cm gap behind knees
[ ] Lower back supported (cushion if needed)

DESK AND KEYBOARD
[ ] Keyboard just below elbow height, shoulders relaxed
[ ] Elbows at 90-100 degrees, wrists straight
[ ] Mouse beside keyboard, in line with elbow

SCREEN
[ ] Straight ahead, about arm's length away
[ ] Top of screen at or slightly below eye level
[ ] No glare from windows or lamps

LAPTOP
[ ] Separate keyboard and mouse
[ ] Laptop raised, or a separate screen used

HABITS
[ ] Short break or change of task every hour
[ ] Mix of sitting and standing through the day
[ ] Aches reported early, set-up re-checked

Based on: OSHA computer workstation eTool; HSE display screen equipment guidance.