1. What Ergonomics Do You Need for Hot Desking?
1.1. Adjustable Chairs
Your employees will have varying body types and preferences. Therefore, it is usually best to provide ergonomic chairs that can be adjusted to each employee’s optimal seating posture. This includes adjustable chair height, armrests, and backrest.
1.2 Keyboard and Mouse Placement
Depending on the position of your keyboard and mouse, you may be at a higher risk of repetitive strains, especially after extended hours. As a rule of thumb, it is usually better to place your keyboard and mouse such that your elbows are at 90 degrees and the wrists are in a neutral position. So, consider equipping your hot desking workstations to allow this.
1.3 Monitor Placement
Ensure that computer monitors are positioned at eye level to promote a neutral neck and head position. It is usually best to invest in monitor stands or adjustable monitor arms to achieve the correct height and angle. This helps reduce eye strain and prevents awkward neck postures.
You should also consider providing ergonomic keyboards and mice that support a neutral wrist and arm position.
1.4 Proper Lighting
Adequate lighting helps create a comfortable working environment for your employees. Therefore, you’ll also need to ensure that your workstations are equipped with sufficient and preferably, adjustable lighting. However, you also need to strike a balance by avoiding lighting with excessive glare as those can cause eye strain and visual discomfort.
1.5 Adjustable Desks
You should also consider providing adjustable desks that allow employees to switch between sitting and standing while they work. This helps reduce desk lock or sluggishness while helping reduce neck or back stress.
2. 7 Top Hot Desking Accessories
2.1 Ergonomic Accessories
One of the keys to a successful hot desking scheme is ensuring that each employee that uses a workstation can obtain optimal comfort while at it. This means investing in ergonomic hot desking accessories for your workspaces.
Essential ergonomic accessories to provide include everything from ergonomic chairs and tables to adjustable monitor stands, laptop stands, and ergonomic. Remember, your employees are more likely to be productive when they’re comfortable.
2.1.1. Adjustable monitor stand
An adjustable monitor stand allows you to position your monitor at a height and angle that works for you, thereby reducing potential strain on your neck.
2.1.2. Ergonomic Keyboards
With ergonomic keyboards, your wrist can assume a more natural position as you work which helps me stay ahead of repetitive strains.
2.1.3 Ergonomic chair
Ergonomic chairs let you adjust your sitting position such that you’re more comfortable and can achieve good posture.
2.2 Personal Storage Solutions
Storage units are also essential hot desking accessories. In addition to helping employees keep their personal items secure, personal storage solutions can help ensure organization and tidiness of your hot desking facilities.
By investing in file cabinets, lockers, or similar storage units, you can ensure that employees have easy access to their belongings or essential work materials. This way, they are less likely to clutter the workspaces.
2.2.1. Lockable drawers
Lockable drawers help to provide convenient and secure storage for your workers while ensuring these belongings or work files are easily accessible during the workday.
2.2.2. Portable file organizers
Files and documents can quickly get out of hand without proper management. Thankfully, portable file organizers provide you with a practical solution for keeping documents and other office materials arranged.
2.2.3. Laptop sleeves
Chances are your employees will bring their PCs in to work, especially in a hot desking setup. So, providing laptop sleeves can help ensure convenient movement of their laptops from desk to desk or between work and home.
2.3. Cable Management Solutions
Cable clutter can quickly become an issue in hot desking setups. While this does not sound like a very serious issue, stray cables pose a tripping hazard and can make workspaces look disorganized. This reduces the aesthetic quality of your workstations and can even be a distraction for some.
Therefore, it is usually best to invest in cable management solutions, such as cable sleeves, cable slips, cable management boxes, and others, to ensure your cables can be arranged and organized neatly.
2.3.1. Cable clips
These are typically small accessories — either clamp-type or adhesive-type — that help to organize cables by keeping them in place. You can typically attach cable clips to various surfaces, including walls, floors, and even the underside of tables.
2.3.2. Cable sleeves
These are flexible tubes that house multiple cables, so you can arrange them in a neater and more organized way. In addition, cable sleeves can prevent tangling.
2.3.3. Cable management
Cable management refers to the all-encompassing approach to organizing cables efficiently and tidily. It typically involves all solutions, from cable ties to cable trays and channels.
2.4. Noise-Canceling Devices
In the shared environment of hot desking workspaces, ambient noise can quickly become very distracting. Therefore, one way you can help your employees stay focused is by investing in noise-canceling devices, including headphones and earbuds. Soundproof divider panels are also a great option to consider!
With such hot desking accessories, your workers can maintain concentration and achieve a sense of a more personalized work environment.
2.4.1. Noise-canceling headphones
Noise-canceling headphones are one of the more popular choices for people who want to block out external noises. These headphones generate sound waves to cancel out incoming noise, thereby providing a more focused and quieter environment.
2.4.2. White noise machines
These machines generate a continuous and calming background noise that can help cancel or mask other sounds in the environment. This way, employees may find it easier to concentrate in shared spaces.
2.4.3. Soundproof panels
Some people may also call these acoustic panels. Soundproof panels absorb and suppress sound waves, which help reduce sound reflections within a room. By installing soundproof panels between workstations, you can achieve a quieter work environment.
2.5. Privacy Focused Accessories
Again, privacy is always a big issue with hot desking setups in any organization. Therefore, while you may not be able to provide individual offices for your staff, you can invest in accessories that encourage privacy.
For instance, privacy-focused hot desking accessories, like desk dividers and screen filters can help create some level of privacy while reducing distractions. Besides, increasing privacy levels may also prove critical in enhancing data security and protecting sensitive information.
2.5.1. Privacy Screens
Privacy and confidentiality can be a big issue especially if you’re working on sensitive projects within a shared workspace. However, installing privacy screens on your computers can help limit visibility from side angles. This way, only the user directly in front of the screen (you) can see its content.
2.5.2. Desk dividers
These are partitions placed between desks to separate each workstation and create a semblance of privacy. In addition, desk dividers can help limit visual distractions and help establish personal space.
2.6. Desk Organization Tools
Respecting shared hot desking spaces means keeping it tidy, organized, and ready for the next person to use. One way to help your employees maintain organized workstations is to provide desk organization tools, such document trays, pen holders, and more.
This will not only facilitate a more organized work space, but can also help your employees achieve better work efficiency and boost productivity.
2.6.1. Cable organizers
These are generally for managing wires and cables that will otherwise tangle and cause clutter on a desk.
2.6.2. Pen holders
Depending on your industry, it may be impossible to get through a workday without writing stuff down. However, leaving pens on your desk can make it look messy, not to mention them getting misplaced. A pen hold easily solves this problem, though.
2.7. Personalization and Comfort Enhancements
Finally, you can also encourage employees to add some personal touches to their workstations to either improve their comfort or general work experience. While it may not involve actual hot desking accessories, personalization can improve employee morale and boost their work experience.
Examples of personalization enhancement items include desk lamps, desk fans, wrist rests, lumbar support cushions, and even desk plants.
2.7.1. Desk plants
Desk plants only allow employees to add some personalization to their workstations, but they can also improve the general aesthetic quality of your offices. Besides, desk plants also improve air quality and add freshness to the environment.
2.7.2. Desk lamps
In situations where the ambient light is inadequate, desk lamps are a great way to provide additional lighting. It can also help improve visual clarity and reduce eye strain associated with insufficient lighting.
2.7.3. Desk fans
If the cooling system in your office is less than adequate, desk fans can help provide a steady stream of cooling breeze that can help improve comfort during warm seasons. However, you should ensure your desk fans have adjustable height, angles, and speed.
3. FAQs
3.1. What are the features of hot desking?
Some essential features of hot desking include flexible workspaces, shared workstations, reservation systems, dynamic work environments, and minimal personalization.
3.2. Why is it called a hot desk?
There are several theories about this. But we believe “Hot desking” originated from the concept of something being warmed up and ready to go, much like a hot stove. Since each workstation is ready for use at any time, the desks are considered “hot.”