New to WFH

[oustedbymymate]

Hello. I’ve just secured a new job which is mainly WFH bar site visits. I don’t have a spare room so just wondering where people set up etc? I’ve got an allowance from work to buy furniture and IT equipment and provided with a laptop. I’ve got two young (early primary) DC too so tips on a set up that works without them interfering with my desk in the eve would be good. Already thinking a set of lockable drawers.

Thanks

I just have a desk tucked away in the living room, I don’t have a spare bedroom either. I make I sure I pack most of it away at the end of the day to separate home and work and pack it away entirely on annual leave.
like many others I have been wfh since 2020.

desk in the living room. annoying to look at in the evening or weekend, but i like being in there with good light and i can hear the doorbell if a postie comes.

colleague has her set up in a large wide pine wardrobe in the bedroom with a slide out keyboard shelf and doors that close over the whole space at night. really clever. and she’s tucked away out of the main room. but i dont fancy that as the bedrooms my rest and relaxation space.

make sure the chair you decide on is fully adjustable. follow guidance on desk set up eg hands should be sloping slightly down to keyboard. feet flat on floor (or footrest) and hips slightly above knees, eyes level with top of screen. your office will provide H&S set up guidance to help you.

For confidential documents I have a two drawer lockable metal filing cabinet, and when it’s not in use the keys are left in a small safe that’s screwed to a fixed surface.

Currently sitting on top of the filing cabinet is a mini fridge and kettle.

The safe is also handy for keeping other documents and ID in, any cash, cards or cheque books, etc. You get into the habit.

It can also be a good habit to put your work phone in it after you’ve logged off and signed out for the day, unless you’re legitimately on call, especially if you’ve got kids.

Have a look at something like this

https://www.dunelm.com/product/bryant-small-hideaway-cabinet-1000253230?defaultSkuId=30925187&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Office_Desks-PMax_%5BGOO-PLA-FURNOFF-DESKS%5D&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19823512204&gbraid=0AAAAADGqyX3_zmqp9BOTMccT2-4gfL3hI&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIndrC48bglAMV6KNQBh1qMiIcEAQYAyABEgLbnvD_BwE

I had two sitting rooms and had a desk set up behind the door of the one I used least before I set up my home office. I’m not sure why you wouldn’t need lockable drawers because the whole world is very digital these days? One thing I would not forsake is a proper good quality office chair. You’ll sit on it for MANY hours and dining chairs etc are not good!

I had a hideaway desk from Next, worse piece of shit I have ever bought. I wider and better quality one would probably have been ok but I didn't like feeling close off by the doors (even when open wide) with mine. I'd did keep everything hidden which was good.

When I was in my smaller house, I was in my bedroom for a while, and then I moved downstairs and used my dining table as a desk, and I liked that because I had my TV on whilst working for background entertainment. I turned it off if I was in a meeting. I was able to switch off from it by transferring to the settee in the evenings.

I prefer to be upstairs so that in the holidays I am out of the way on days DH is looking after the kids.

We do have a home office but before that had a small corner desk in our bedroom.

I’m in the living room, desk colour matches our furniture and the chair our sofa. I pack everything away each night. A good set up is a must for wfh

I work in the corner of the bedroom. I bought a nice (pretty nice rather than functional nice) desk and a smart chair so it doesn’t look too office-y. I don’t have much stuff other than my laptop which I close at the end of the day.

My main tip for this generally is to maintain really good boundaries. My kids aren't especially well behaved but they have never messed with our work kit - I think it's because we don't work around them (only when they are in school /childcare or asleep) and our work stuff is all clearly separated from our living space where they are.

Will you be wfh and on calls when the kids are home in school holidays etc? If so, you need to be in a different room where you can close the door and work. Anything else is not fair on them or you.

this is one of the reasons wfh can be harder and more expensive than office work. You save on the commute but need more space.

If I had room for it, and could justify the expense in any way, I would love this:

www.cotswoldco.com/home-office-furniture/desks/chester-dove-grey-hidden-workstation/?xcm_campaign=Shopping-Cotswold&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=1586207482&gbraid=0AAAAADSUgKn8-bPMZUckTJ_T7tT5ADo8B&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlerQBhDMARIsAB16H-UbKD86TuzWbf1qkSuG61jD5FzyLOCCgQWnGf18Y4Y_KC10xWgei0UaAlldEALw_wcB