Work from home is a thing, despite the opinions of billionaire bullies. CEO blowhards like Biffle, Gurner, Diamon, Musk, and Jassy railing against working from home, obscure what’s happening around flexible work arrangements in many workplaces. According to the September Flex Report from Scoop, many of the largest companies have embraced hybrid work.
Fortune says the firm found that 293 of the Fortune 500 companies they follow offer workplace flexibility. The most common arrangement being two to three days required in the office. Since work from home is not going away it is time to upgrade your hastily- assembled COVID workstation. Here are eight items that can upgrade your work from home rig.
More outlets for your work from home office
The first upgrade for you work from home (WFH) rig could be this wall charger from Powrui. The device comes with six outlets and two USB fast-charging ports to keep all your devices and accessories at 100% so they won’t die in the middle of that team meeting. Retrofit your space to keep your laptop charged, monitor running, iPhone and iPad charged for those times when you have to wander beyond the safety of your WHF bunker. This model is available on the web for around $17.99.
More privacy
If closing the door to your WFH space is not enough to let others know you are working this is for you. You can post this privacy sign on your WFH office door. The statuses are in bold on green, red and blue background makes it easy to see from a distance. The sign has three choices. DO NOT DISTURB, WELCOME PLEASE KNOCK and OUT OF OFFICE. The status will remain unchanged unless you change it manually because inside the sign there are small magnets that will keep the status stay in place. You can find this update to your WFH space on the web for around $9.99.
More screen space for your WFH work
A portable monitor can expand the work area on your work from home laptop. They have the advantage of being portable so you can take your second monitor with you to work at Starbucks or god- forbid the office. This Portable Monitor is a 15.6 Inch Full HD 1080P monitor with a USB-C to USB-C cable, a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable, and a power adapter (with a USB-A to USB-C cable). It also includes a foldable case, which can double as a stand and speakers. There are many options on the intertubes starting around $150.00
More productivity
On of the things the bully billionaires complain about is work from home productivity. This rotating timer from Znewtech can keep you productive. You can set the Hexagon Rotating Timer for a specific amount of time to apply to a specific task or remind yourself that you need to take a break every once in a while. This addition to to your WFH rig can be set for 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, and 30-minute blocks by rotating it to the time you want. Get it online for $18.99.
Better coffee for working from home
Home-brewed coffee at home is undoubtedly an upgrade from office coffee. If you get easily distracted with work tasks this electric mug warmer from Vobago is for you. It can regulate the temperature of your coffee so you can nurse your drink for hours without sipping an ice-cold brew. It also warms Tea too. You can buy this coffee warmer online starting at round $25.00.
Enhance Your WFH space with a Dry-Erase Sticker Board
You can bring the office whiteboard to your WFH haunt with This dry-erase sticker board. The Kassa Chalkboard Wallpaper can turn any surface into a place where you can write notes. You can stick this to basically any surface -ever your desk- and can cut it to any size. The adhesive on the back means you can easily remove it (without damaging the surface) and move it to a different spot. The environment will even thank you for reducing your paper use. The Kassa Chalkboard Wallpaper is available online starting at $12.99.
Standing Desk
Add a FlexiSpot standing desk. The FlexiSpot standing desk can be adjusted. You can raise or lower it suit your needs while working from home. The 48 inch model is big enough to hold two monitors and a laptop and has a 132-pound weight capacity. This model starts at$179.99 at several online retailers.
WFH treadmill
TikTok has here. caught up exercising while working trend I have been covering on the Bach Seat since 2009. The Goyouth 2-in-1 Under Desk Electric electric treadmill has an LED display that shows the time, speed, and distance, a quiet motor, and Bluetooth capabilities so you can play music through while you get your steps in during work-time instead of me-time. Treadmills like the Goyouth start at $318.99 online and they go up from there.
Work from home outdoors
The sport-brella is perfect for enjoying the outdoors while working from home. It enables you to be outdoors, sip a cool drink, and prevent your laptop overheating and the sun making it nearly impossible to see the screen. It is built with SPF 50+ material and a universal clamp. This is available at all the web store starting round $27.00.
rb-
If you have other suggestions how you customized your work from home set-up be sure to share them.
Related article
Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.
