Under labor law (in German) in Switzerland, workstations with computer screens must be ergonomically designed and equipped so that bodily injury and work-related illnesses (such as back pain) among employees can be avoided. Both the desk and the office chair must therefore be adjustable for height. There are no legal requirements with regard to technical equipment. Employees are not entitled to an ergonomically designed mouse or keyboard. Instead, many companies provide their employees with such ergonomic equipment on request.
To avoid excessive strain on your back and neck when you work longer periods at the screen, you should make sure your office chair and the desk height are suitably adapted to your height. The placement of the monitor, keyboard, and mouse also plays a decisive role in sitting in an ergonomically correct way.
To find out more details on how to position the individual components of your workplace, read our blog on the subject "Checklist: Office ergonomics – getting it right". From the setting of your backrest to height-adjustable desks, you can find all the information you need for healthy working at a workstation with a computer summarized here.
Genetically, humans were not made for sitting down for hours at a time without moving. Regular movement is important. Please therefore note the following tips:
To reduce one-sided strain when working from home, you should make sure that your computer workstation is as ergonomically designed as possible. It is recommended to work at a desk, for example, and not to escape to the couch for the sake of convenience, since this has negative effects on your sitting position.
The most important information on how to set up a computer workstation can be found in our blog "Checklist: Office ergonomics – getting it right". By adhering to these tips, you ensure that the technical equipment is best geared to your individual needs.
It is especially important when working from home that you always make conscious changes in movement, since typical interruptions such as walking to the next meeting are often no longer part of the work day. For this reason, it is advisable to stand when you talk on the phone or deliberately go to the kitchen for coffee. A height-adjustable desk can also provide more variety. Tip: If you don’t have a standing desk at home, you can make an alternative one with an ironing board and a box.
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