• Peripherals
  • What IT Provides
  • What IT Supports
  • What You can provide, and we don’t support
• Microphones
• Ergonomics
  • What does the term ‘Ergonomic’ mean?
  • Chairs
    • Ergonomic chair features
  • Desks

Peripherals and Ergonomics

Regardless of if you are working from home (WFH) or at a branch office, it is always helpful to know what peripherals IT can provide for you. When it comes to Ergonomics, PRM is 100% invested. Please reach out to your manager or department head if you are interested in ergonomics outside what IT provides so they can reach out to Facilities to help you!

What IT Provides

We only provide certain brands and categories of peripherals that we have tested and found to be reliable. If you don’t find any of the listed peripherals to your liking, please see the “What you can provide, and we don’t support” section of this article below. 

• Keyboards and Mice
  • Wired
  • Wireless
• Headsets for Desk Phones and Computers
  • We use Poly for our Desk Phone Headset needs
  • We use Anker for our Computer Headset Needs

What IT Supports

Anything we provided you from the above list is fully supported along with the following items:

• Printers
  • We only support Printers at Branch Locations, as you know it is outside Compliance to print from a non-licensed location
• Scanners
  • As with Printers, we will only support the scanners at licensed locations. 

What You can provide, and we don’t support

You’re free to purchase your own hardware of any brand you like. However, depending on the item, we may not be able to install it for you, or even provide support. If you encounter problems with unsupported hardware, we will try to assist you as much as possible, but are under no obligation to do so. Please understand that when using unsupported hardware, in all likelihood, you will be on your own.

With the rise of Video Meetings and the flexibility of working from anywhere in our current model, it’s important to find a good microphone. Many of us are probably still using our “onboard audio,” which refers to the microphone and speakers built into our laptops. While there is nothing wrong with using these items, they don’t provide the best audio quality or experience.

With the rise of Video Meetings and the flexibility of working from anywhere in our current model, it’s important to find a good microphone. Many of us are probably still using our “onboard audio,” which refers to the microphone and speakers built into our laptops. While there is nothing wrong with using these items, they don’t provide the best audio quality or experience.

Microphones built into laptops or webcams are what are called omndirectional. Omnidirectional Microphones, as the name suggests, pick up sound from all directions at once, which means they will try to pick up every sound in the room. This can include pets, other people, or just a lot of white noise. Standalone microphones or the ones built into headsets, on the other hand, are unidirectional; they only pick up sounds coming from what they’re pointing at, like your mouth. 

Omnidirectional		Monodirectional
	Front		Front
Records sounds from ALL directions		Records sounds from one direction or a cone shape

We recommend the following ones, but also keep in mind that you can use your own, but like the section above mentions when you bring your own peripherals, we may not be able to support it. 

• Poly (formerly Plantronics)
  • Specifically, the Voyager System
• Jabra
• Anker Soundcore

Ergonomics is important your health and wellbeing, which means it’s important to the company. If you need ergonomic versions of any of the peripherals we provide, please reach out to the IT Helpdesk.   Ergonomics applies to more than just peripherals; it’s also important to consider the ergonomics of your chair and desk.

What does the term ‘Ergonomic’ mean?

Ergonomics, also known as human engineering or biotechnology, is a science focused on the study of people’s efficiency in their working environment. The study of ergonomics involves looking at how objects can be designed and/or arranged to best compliment easy and safe human interaction.

An ergonomic chair, for example, is a chair that has been designed to best support the human body, including considerations like posture, comfort, support, and health.

The next two sections provide some in-depth information about ergonomics as applied to office furniture.

Chairs

Ergonomic office chairs have several features designed to improve your posture and offer correct support, but they only do half the job – To truly feel the benefits of an ergonomic chair, you should first learn how to sit properly:

• Keep an arm’s length away from your computer screen. Ideally, the top of the monitor should be level with your eyes.
• Sit up straight and avoid slouching. Your neck should be in a relaxed and neutral position.
• Keep your arms parallel to the floor
• Sit with both feet flat on the floor and avoid crossing your legs. This is to allow correct blood circulation within your legs.

A good ergonomic chair will be adjustable, to allow for better control and customized settings. Adjustability is especially important if you are buying chairs that will be used by different users. If you are buying a chair for your home office, or for one person specifically, consider using their body dimensions for a greater ‘fit’.

Ergonomic chair features

Seat height

The optimal seat height should allow you to place your feet flat on the floor, which is why choosing a chair with an adjustable seat height is essential because everyone is different. What’s more, with most work desks remaining at a fixed height, it is important that the seat height can be altered. A seat height that ranges from 16 to 21 inches off the floor should work for most people.

Seat width and depth

Proper seat depth should leave between 2 and 4 inches between the edge of the seat and the back of your knees. If the seat is too far forward, it may put undue pressure at the back of the knees.

Seat tilt

Good ergonomic chairs will allow the seat to tilt, which allows for correct positioning of the pelvis. Anterior pelvic tilt is a posture problem that affects almost everyone who sits a lot, which is why it’s important to keep the pelvis in a neutral position when sitting, with 80-degree angles at the hips, knees and ankles.

Backrest Lumbar support

This refers to the support given to your lower back and is an essential feature of an ergonomic chair. Ergonomic chairs support the natural ‘S’ shape of the spine, which prevents slumping and reduces stress on the spine and the pelvis. An adjustable backrest allows users to align the curve in the chair with the curve in their spine, for optimal support.

Backrest recline

An adjustable backrest allows for greater tailored positioning for the user, as they can move the backrest to support their natural spine position more specifically. Using this feature throughout the day allows the backrest to take some of the weight from your upper body, reducing the pressure on your spinal disks and muscles.

Swivel

The swivel in an ergonomic chair helps users with their maneuverability, making it easier to reach different points of their desks without having to strain excessively.

Armrests

Armrests help to reduce tension in the upper body and allow the shoulders to relax. However, armrests should not be used when typing as this reduces overall arm movement, which in turn increases wrist movement leading to strain on the forearm muscles.

Headrest

Supports the back of the head and the upper neck, reducing tension in the shoulders and upper torso.

Materials

A good ergonomic chair is made from comfortable materials. The material should not cause the user’s back to sweat. However, the materials used will depend on the budget; high-end ergonomic chairs will use leather or velvet.

Wheels

If your chair will be used on a hard surface, find a chair with soft rubber wheels. If your workspace is carpeted, opt for hard wheels to help you navigate better.

Other ergonomic seating options that are a little more “outside the box” include:

• Kneeling Chairs
• Exercise Balls
• Ball Chairs

Desks

It’s also important to consider the placement and configuration of your desk. There are a variety of “sit/stand” desks that allow you to spend some of your time standing, which can help with the fatigue that sometimes results from sitting for 8-9 hours. You can request adapters that convert any desk into a sit/stand; these are platforms that rest on the desktop that you can manually move up and down. There are also a variety of Desks that have adjustable legs or another mechanism that allows you to raise and lower the entire surface. Whichever route you go, please keep the following in mind:

• Under the desk, make sure there's clearance for your knees, thighs, and feet. 
• If the desk is too low and can't be adjusted, place sturdy boards or blocks under the desk legs to bring it to a more comfortable height.
• If the desk is too high and can't be adjusted, raise your chair. Use a footrest to support your feet as needed.
• If your desk has a hard edge, add padding to it or use a wrist rest.
• Don't store items under your desk.

If nothing else, don’t forget to get up from your desk every two hours or so and have a good stretch for one to two minutes; it will work wonders for stiff muscles, refresh your energy levels, and help you stay focused and productive!