Urgent need for proper home workstations
Since nobody was allowed to work at the office anymore due to the pandemic, there was an urgent need to arrange proper home workstations for those working from home. John: "It started with the delivery of computer monitors and arranging IT facilities. Soon, the question arose whether a proper chair could be borrowed from the office. An ergonomic chair that one could sit on all day."
A growing number of employees started to appreciate the efficiency of working from home for certain tasks. John: "We noticed that our people were more productive when they could manage their own time and work from home in peace and quiet. When we realised that remote working was to become 'normal', we conducted a survey among the 150 employees who were working from home. Also considering our new office layout, of course! We received results from 95% of the respondents and no less than 90% of them pointed out that they would like to work from home more often after the pandemic. This survey made our management team decide that a proper home workspace was quickly needed for all our employees. We asked Gispen for advice and assistance."
Anticipating future scenarios
Danon van der Hoeven, Gispen Business Manager: "Talis aimed to handle things properly the first time around. They wanted to provide their employees with the same sit-stand desks as they were used to at the office: manually or electrically height adjustable. A compact 120 or 140 cm wide and 80 cm deep workstation was selected as well as office chairs that were identical to those at the office: ZINN Smart. The reason for doing so is a practical one; everyone knows how to adjust these chairs. Moreover, when someone leaves the company, the furniture can moved to the office and continue to be of use there. John: "I really appreciate how Gispen anticipates future scenarios."
Gispen webshop for Talis
Gispen provided a full service: after selecting a home office product range, a custom-made Talis webshop was built for all our employees. They can use the webshop to order their own home office furniture quickly and easily. Every employee has been given a budget of € 1,000 to spend on a comfortable and ergonomic home workspace. This personal budget can be spent on a desk and an office chair, but also on good lighting or sun blinds, for example. Gispen compiled a digital brochure to facilitate the selection process for our employees. After all, providing good information is also part of our caring responsibility! Another added benefit: soon after the orders were placed, the home workstations were directly delivered to their doorsteps by Gispen."
What do you think of the result?
John: "I'm impressed. We have taken advantage of this situation by putting more thought into remote working. We have also placed fewer permanent workstations in our new building. Instead, we are introducing more temporary workspaces and meeting places. A process in which Gispen also shared its expertise with us. The home workstations have been well received by our employees; we are getting lots of compliments! We paid a lot of attention to the new working method, from wireless headphones that allow you to walk during a telephone call to monitors on loan. Not to mention the dedicated webshop for the home office products. When employees tell family or friends about this, they realise that Talis and Gispen truly take responsibility for their employees. Which, naturally, we are very proud of!"
