Are You Giving Your Employees the Right Equipment to Work Effectively?

The workplace has changed.

For many businesses, work no longer happens in one location. Employees may spend some of their week in the office, some at home and some travelling between different locations.

In fact, 28% of working adults in Great Britain hybrid worked between January and March 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics.

But while working habits have changed, have your workplace provisions changed with them?

For business owners, it is worth asking a simple question:

Does every member of your team have what they need to do their job properly, wherever they’re working?

A Laptop Isn’t Always a Complete Workstation

Giving an employee a laptop might technically allow them to work from home, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have a suitable long-term working environment.

Think about the equipment your employees regularly use:

  • Monitor
  • Keyboard and mouse
  • Laptop stand
  • Suitable desk and chair
  • Headset
  • Chargers and cables
  • Stationery
  • Notebooks
  • Printer access
  • Document storage
  • Lighting

Small things can make a significant difference to how comfortably and efficiently somebody can work.

For employees who regularly use display screen equipment, employers also need to consider their responsibilities around DSE.

The Health and Safety Executive states that employers have the same health and safety responsibilities for people working from home as for any other worker.

Where DSE regulations apply, employers should carry out appropriate workstation assessments and ensure workers can achieve a comfortable and sustainable working posture.

Don’t Forget Your Office Environment

Hybrid working doesn’t make the office less important.

If anything, it means businesses need to think more carefully about what employees need when they do come into the workplace.

Are your desks properly equipped?

Are frequently used supplies easy to find?

Can employees connect their laptops easily?

Are meeting spaces ready to use?

Are printers reliable and accessible?

Is there enough storage?

Do employees spend the first ten minutes of their day searching for a charger, notebook or working pen?

These might sound like small inconveniences, but repeated across a team they can quickly become unnecessary workplace friction.

Create Consistency

One of the simplest ways to improve a hybrid workplace is to create consistency.

An employee shouldn’t have an excellent workstation in the office but struggle to work effectively from home.

Likewise, employees coming into the office shouldn’t need to bring half their desk with them.

Review what your employees need to perform their roles and identify any obvious gaps.

When Did You Last Review Your Workplace?

Working practices change. Teams grow. Equipment ages. Employees join and leave.

That means workplace requirements shouldn’t be reviewed once and forgotten.

Ask your employees what causes frustration.

You might discover the biggest problems aren’t complicated.

Perhaps teams need additional monitors. Maybe meeting rooms need better equipment. Perhaps your stationery ordering process needs simplifying. Or maybe employees need better support setting up their home workspace.

Understanding those friction points is the first step towards creating a workplace that works better.

Make Your Workplace Work for Your People

From office furniture and everyday supplies to technology, print, hygiene, workwear and workplace essentials, Office Essentials can help businesses create practical working environments for today’s teams.

Whether you’re refreshing your main office, equipping new employees or reviewing your hybrid working setup, we’re here to help.

Talk to Office Essentials about making your workplace work better for your people.

Helping make your life easier!