Page 4 - TR RVO Extra 2020

4SS SUNDAY,SEPTEMBER20,2020
ADVERTISINGSUPPLEMENTTOTHETHREERIVERSANDRIVERVALLEY&OZARKEDITIONSOFTHEARKANSASDEMOCRAT-GAZETTE•EXTRA
HOME
Productive place
Home-office must-haves
For home-office spaces, make sure there is plenty of lighting. Natural light can help reduce energy costs and boost productivity.
Remote work has been around for many years, though it certainly picked up steam in 2020. In an effort to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, in March 2020, some states’ government officials implemented stay-at-home measures that mandated many professionals begin working from home. That transition occurred seemingly overnight, leaving men and women to find somewhere in their homes to work.
As the dust settled and working professionals grew accustomed to working from home, many recognized the need to have an office in their homes. Various factors can make home offices more conducive to getting work done, and the following are some home-office must-haves that can help people be more productive while working from home.
LIGHTING
Lighting is important in a home office. It’s easy to overlook natural light, especially for workers who previously worked in offices that did not have windows. But natural light can help save on energy costs and boost mood. In fact, natural light is a valued commodity for people used to working in office settings. A 2018 survey of more than 1,600 workers conducted by the human resources advisory firm Future Workplace found that access to natural light and views of the outdoors were the most sought-after attribute of a workplace environment. In addition, 47 percent of workers surveyed admitted they felt tired or very tired from the absence of natural light or a window at their office. When designing their home