The ergonomic home office

It is becoming more and more popular to perform office activities at home – in the home office. An increasing number of employers encourage their staff (those for whom it is possible) to work part-time at their homes. The advantages are as numerous as obvious: less traffic jams, less workstations needed at the office, more freedom and responsibility for the employee, et cetera. But does the employee consider ergonomics when creating his or her home office?

Ergonomic rules

The ergonomically responsible workstation is determined, apart from the main rule of ergonomics - man is the basis – by three principles: • all elements of the workstation and the total working environment (room, climate, lighting), the so-called hardware (computer, monitor, keyboard and such) and the furniture (table/desk, chair) play a role. • th e separate elements should be adapted to the body size and proportions of the user and his/her tasks. • the separate elements should be matched: if you have an ergonomic chair, but your table/desk is too high or too low, you will still end up with a physical problem.

Apparently, there are still people who do their office work sitting for hours on end on a straight chair at the kitchen table or lounging in a sofa with a laptop on their knees. It’s such a pity since there are many solutions that are ergonomically safe.

There are as many ways of creating a home office as there are houses – and people. Everyone decorates his or her home office after his or her own preferences, only limited by the space available. The manufacturers of office furniture have recognized this trend and have extended their assortment with products that can match the style of the rest of the house. In general, these desks, chairs, cabinets and such are beautiful and range in design from practi cally compact to trendy. Ho wever, this nice furniture has to meet the same demands as “real” office furniture. It is only ergonomically correct when the user knows how to make them fit his or her individual size and proportions. It all starts with deciding how to select the right furniture for your pe rsonal needs and comfort. This initial step is where it can go wrong, very wrong. If you have to work on a computer often and for a long period of time, it is essential that the working environment be organized in an ergonomic manner. Monitor work affects the user’s he alth, not only putting strain on the eyes, the (lower) back and the upper body, but the user’s psyche is also under stress. However, this article is limited to the physical complaints and how these can be prevented.

Defects For the specifications of an ergonomically sound workstation, please refer to the article ‘Checklist workstation’ in this magazine. The most common defects of the home office are: • th e desktop can not be height-adjusted

• th e desktop is too small: the distance between eyes and monitor is too short and there is not enough room to place documents • th e monitor, mouse and keyboard are not correctly positioned • th ere is not enough leg space • the lighting is inadequate Too often, the home office is tucked away in some otherwise lost corner or a part of a room is provisionally dedicated as the “office.” It is true that not everyone has the luxury of a separate room for his or her home office, but using a part of a room or some lost corner eventually leads to physical problems. When purchasing furniture and other articles for the home office, some basic aspects must be taken into consideration: • th e table/desk and the rest of the furniture (cabinets and such) must have a matt, non-re flecting surface • gl ass or metal surfaces are not recommended as these reflect (sun)light and absorb and give off heat • th ere must not be too big a difference in color or model, as this distracts and creates an unorganized impression • th e most important elements are the desk and the chair

Variation Another crucial factor for the healthy workstation is the type of the work at hand. Four hours of w orking on the computer is really the daily maximum. Computer work must be varied with other tasks that differ from monitor work in order to lower physical as well as mental stress levels. These other tasks can include meetings, short conferences, making calls, doing chores or even DIY activities. Create the interior of the home office in such a manner that you have to get up regularly, for instance to clear away finished documents or get coffee. If the home office is upstairs, this is even better to get a little exercise. Use your free time (make sure you have enough of that - take breaks and stick to the standard office hours as much as possible) to do some exercises, walk the dog or take a rest. This is better than plow ing through hours on end. Variation prevents ov er-exertion of the eyes, back and upper body because they are then used in a different way or not at all.

Suggestions In the case that the workload consists only of computer work, we suggest that the work is divided into two or three blocks, each including a five or ten minute break (or longer, depending on the intensity/complexity of the task, bu t definitely not longer than 20 minutes). Use these breaks to do some exercises, for instance, take a walk. Try to exercise the entire body. Take several deep breaths, in through the nose and slowly out through the mouth. Some other suggestions are: hang up the laundry, water the flowers and plants, walk the dog and so forth. The purpose of taking a break in work is to lower tension in the eyes and other body mus cles, to stimulate blood circulation and to keep pe rformance level high.

Cruise Village and Second Mega Pier Getting Closer to Becoming Reality

The plans of the Curaçao Ports Authority (CP A) for a cruise-village and a second mega pier are becoming more concrete. Acc ording to the Min ister of Economic Development, Sta nley Palm (P AIS), a p reliminary estimation for a second mega pier, including the cruise-village, will be 50 to 60 million guilders. The CP A-project for a cruise-village includes a terminal for cruise passengers, catering and shopping facilities and attractions. It wi ll be built along the coast between the Ren aissance Res ort and Holiday Bea ch, including the mangrove park. Acc ording to CP A d irector, Humberto de Castro, the two most important requirements for a cruise-village are that it must be open and freely accessible for the population and simultaneously include all services for the cruise industry. The C P A i s working on a financial feasibility study to determine if it’s possible to construct both the second mega pier and cruise village simultaneously. Onc e construction is underway, developers can start renting units to interested parties.

UNA Hosts First Caribbean Job Fair The first Caribbean Job Fair, opened by Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, Jeanne- Marie Francisca (P S), was held on August 2nd and 3rd at UN A, where the ministry was the main sponsor. “ The focus was on finances and the economy, “ the minister said. “ The p opulation must realize the importance of making progress and being independent.” Francisca believes that all things related to social affairs should be a priority, but movement in the labor market is the most important. Therefore, she applauds the initiative from the private sector to organize a Job Fair. The ministry is busy setting up a Job Centre and a vacancy section. Unemployment on Curaçao is around 10 percent and 25 percent among youngsters. The minister mentioned school dropout as one of the reasons for the high youth unemployment experienced on the island.

Hotel Room Tax Levied

The Curaçao Tourist Bureau has levied a room sales tax at a rate of 7%. The government has amended the sales tax ( Omzetbelasting or OB) in order to abolish the room tax. It is now expected that this change will take place as of January 1, 2014. The hope is that this will make compliance somewhat less burdensome since only sales tax must be paid. Hotels or other businesses that are currently subject to room tax must make a distinction between different categories of goods and services provided in order to levy the correct amount of sales tax: 9% on food, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, as well as on diving and other tours; 7% on the room rate; 6% on other goods and services.