The centerpiece of any office workstation are their monitors, where employees focus their attention the majority of the day. According to a study in 2018 by contact lens maker Acuvue, American office workers spend more than 1,700 hours per year in front of a computer screen.
And that has likely only increased, with the shift from phone-based conference calls to video conferencing during the last three years.
That’s why it’s critical for all office employees to feel empowered to set up their monitors to help them maximize their comfort and productivity.
The Trend: More Employees Are Back in Offices
More employees are back in offices than at any other time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Kastle Systems, a leading office keycard provider, offices in 10 top American cities surpassed 50% occupancy during the last full week of January 2023 — a first for any week since the shift to remote work in March 2020. Hybrid work is likely here to stay, but for the first time, the balance of that model, on a national level, tips in favor of on-site office work.
Employers can make on-site office work more appealing to hybrid workers by investing in intentional workspace design choices that help employees feel productive and efficient.
The best way to achieve this goal? Invest in adaptable monitor arms.
At-home office setups may lack monitor arms or multiple screens, with employees instead using their company-issued laptops without a docking station. As a result, employees may be compromising their health, with potential neck and shoulder pain, due to an improperly positioned screen that causes them to bend their neck downward for an extended period of time.
Employers who seek to make office workstations superior to at home options should offer a multi-monitor setup that puts control in the hands of employees to do their best work, especially for tasks that require comparisons of data or information and those that would normally require switching between applications and/or tabs on a single monitor.
Case Study of the Trend: Baxter Credit Union
One employer that recognized the importance of adaptable monitor arms is Baxter Credit Union (BCU). With more than 300,000 members, BCU is one of the country’s fastest growing credit unions, and it needed its corporate headquarters to keep up with its recent growth.
In 2020, BCU expanded its main offices in Vernon Hills, Illinois, into the adjacent building to create a full corporate campus. For the next two years amid the global pandemic and construction and supply delays, BCU worked to build out the new three-floor office space to house more than 260 employees.
In the new space, BCU sought to create more comfortable workstations with greater employee autonomy over the space in which they work. The credit union chose to move away from the typical 8×8 workstations with high-panel walls to a more open floor plan that prioritized comfortable, height-adjustable workstations.
To meet the needs of employees at these various workspaces, BCU decided to invest in Fellowes’ Edge2-MS monitor arms that balanced sufficient adjustability for employee preferences with simple, seamless installation. BCU’s monitor arm investment allowed employees to easily transition their workstations from sit to stand, and users of hoteling stations can easily adjust their monitors based on their individual preferences.
In the post-pandemic work environment where workers demand a more customized and adaptable workspace to differentiate in-office work from remote work, this kind of in-the-moment adjustability is key to keeping them productive, efficient and “in the zone.”
What to Look for in Adaptable Monitor Arms
The vast number of monitor arm options can feel overwhelming for the purchaser, for such a seemingly straightforward workspace accessory. To help, we’ve created this list of the top five features to look for in monitor arms when working with a dealer.
- Seek out options that offer fast, intuitive installation with no special tools or disassembly required. These options should also offer maximum adjustability to change the angle, height and orientation of monitors to meet the preferences of any employee.
- The most adaptable products offer a range of motion and slider capabilities to avoid overlap or gaps between monitors and ensure that screens are the proper distance away from the user.
- Monitor arms should match the style and aesthetics of the workspace, without compromising functionality. Look for elevated design and finish options, including standard, in-trend and premium finishes.
- Any product that is BIFMA compliant will ensure it is durable, safe and meets established industry standards.
- Get peace of mind when you buy from a dependable company with a strong warranty and service programs.
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