Remote and hybrid work has become a permanent feature of New Zealand's labour market. Stats NZ data shows that around 34% of employed New Zealanders work from home at least part of the time - close to 900,000 people splitting their week between a home setup and an office. 

For many, the convenience is real. But so is the physical cost of a workstation that was never properly designed for full-time use. A poorly set up home office can lead to pain, discomfort and injury that erodes both productivity and quality of life. The good news is that most of it is preventable with a few deliberate adjustments.

Why your home workstation matters

When we work in an office, most of the ergonomic decisions have already been made for us: adjustable chairs, monitors at the right height, IT support a phone call away. 

At home, those defaults disappear. Many people are still working at kitchen tables, on dining chairs, or hunched over a laptop on a couch, even years into a regular working-from-home routine.

The research is clear: a compromised workstation posture sustained over several hours a day places cumulative load on the neck, shoulders, lower back and wrists. Over time, that load translates into injury. Occupational health therapy plays a crucial role in identifying and addressing these risks, both for individuals and for employers managing remote teams.

Setting up your chair

Your chair is the foundation of your workstation, and it is worth treating it as such.

If you are working from home regularly, a dedicated office chair with height adjustment is a worthwhile investment. It is also reasonable to ask your employer whether they can assist.

When selecting and adjusting your chair:

• Aim for a chair without armrests, or with adjustable arms that can be lowered fully. Fixed armrests often prevent you from sitting close enough to your desk, leading to shoulder and upper back strain.
  
  
• Adjust the seat height so that your elbows rest at approximately 90 degrees when your hands are on the keyboard. This reduces load through the shoulders, forearms and wrists.
  
  
• Your feet should rest flat on the floor. If they do not once your chair is at the right height, use a firm box, footstool or a stack of books to support them.
  
  
• If you do not have access to an office chair, place a firm cushion on your seat and a rolled towel or lumbar support behind your lower back to maintain the natural curve of your spine.

Setting up your desk or table

The right desk height follows from the right chair height. Adjust your chair first, then position your work surface accordingly.

The top of your desk should be level with your elbows when you are seated comfortably. If you are working at a fixed-height kitchen table, adjust by placing books or firm blocks under the desk legs, or by raising your laptop or monitor on a stable platform. 

Height-adjustable desk risers that sit on top of an existing table are a relatively affordable option that can make a significant difference for long-term home workers.

Positioning your monitor or laptop

Screen height and distance are among the most common contributors to neck and upper back pain in home-based workers.

The top of your monitor screen should be roughly at eye level and approximately an arm's length away. If your screen sits lower than this (as most laptops do when placed flat on a desk), raise it using books, a box or a dedicated laptop stand. When you raise your laptop, pair it with an external keyboard and wireless mouse so that your hands and wrists remain in a neutral position. Without this combination, raising the screen simply transfers the strain from your neck to your wrists.

If you wear glasses, it is also worth having your prescription reviewed if you are finding yourself adjusting your head position to see the screen clearly. Progressive or transitional lenses can be helpful for reducing the neck strain that comes from peering through the wrong part of a lens.

Mouse and keyboard placement

Once the larger adjustments are in place, the positioning of your mouse and keyboard deserves attention. Reaching forward or to the side to access either of these (even slightly) adds cumulative strain to the neck, shoulders and arms across the course of a working day.

Keep your mouse close to the keyboard and within easy reach from a relaxed arm position. If you are regularly working from home, an external keyboard and mouse are a meaningful investment for both injury prevention and productivity.

Staying physically well throughout the day

Getting the workstation setup right is a strong foundation, but it does not address the impact of sustained sitting. Movement through the day is equally important.

Try to stand and move briefly every 30 minutes. In an office environment this happens naturally: walking to a meeting, visiting a colleague, stepping away from the desk. At home, it requires more intention.

A timer or scheduled reminder can help. Varying your working position across the day (e.g. standing at a bench for part of the morning, sitting later) also reduces cumulative load on the spine.

Micro-pauses are useful between longer stretches of keyboard work: brief stretches of the hands, fingers and wrists, gentle neck movements, and resting your eyes by refocusing on a point in the distance every 20 minutes or so. These small habits, practised consistently, make a meaningful difference over weeks and months.

Protecting your mental wellbeing

Working from home presents mental health considerations that are easy to underestimate, particularly in roles that involve limited face-to-face contact. Establishing clear boundaries between work and home life is one of the most protective things you can do.

Where possible, designate a specific space in your home for work and, at the end of the working day, close it off. Maintaining consistent start and finish times, taking a full lunch break away from the desk, and resisting the pull to respond to messages outside of working hours all contribute to sustainable hybrid working over the long term.

Regular connection with colleagues matters too. Whether through scheduled team check-ins, informal video calls or messaging tools, maintaining a sense of belonging to a team can significantly buffer against the isolation that remote work can bring for some people.

Getting support

Whether you are managing your own home workstation setup or looking to support a remote team, the occupational health and physiotherapy team at Active+ can help. A personalised workstation assessment identifies the specific adjustments that will reduce your injury risk and support your long-term well-being, wherever you happen to be working. Find your nearest Active+ clinic to speak with a physio or occupational therapist.