With the increase in the number of employees telecommuting due to the coronavirus pandemic, how many of them are struggling to create an environment at home in which they work?
First and foremost, it is important to make the best use of furniture and interior goods to create a space in which you can concentrate.
It is also advisable to move things that you may not want to appear in the background while you are in a teleconference.
A 34-year-old woman in Tokyo who has been working remotely since the state of emergency was declared in early April said she uses a dining table as a desk.
"I have to move my computer and documents every time I want to eat at the table. Switching modes is more difficult than I'd imagined," she said.
Recruit Sumai Co., the Tokyo-based operator of an online real estate portal, conducted a survey on telecommuting in November last year on about 1,000 working adults aged 20 to 64.
In a question about the dissatisfaction and inconvenience of telework, 23% of respondents said it was difficult to switch from work mode to private mode and 21% said they didn't have a sufficient amount of space to work in.
"A large number of people have started working remotely since then, so we can assume that problems have become more serious," a Recruit Sumai official said.
Those without spare rooms to use for work purposes can create a space they can concentrate in by using compact furniture that can be folded and stowed away.
Office furniture manufacturer Itoki Corp. makes a partition that can be used at home to create a space in which to work. When not in use, the partition can be folded into a space that is only 24 centimeters deep. Priced at 89,900 yen including tax, the ONOFF partition includes a folding desk, among other features.
The Tokyo-based manufacturer also makes a compact set of stackable work surfaces that can be used separately or together and are light enough to be easily moved around.
"People can place the worktop against a wall if they want to remove distractions, or they can place one close to a window if they want to relax. Its popularity stems from the fact it can be arranged depending on your mood."
A set of two is priced from 27,900 yen including tax.
Itoki began developing furniture that people could use to work from home in 2017 in anticipation of a rise in the number of people telecommuting because of the Tokyo Olympics, among other reasons.
Comments such as "I want to clearly switch between work hours and private time," and "I want to choose products that don't look out of place in a living room" were reflected in the development of the products.
Office supplies manufacturer Sanwa Supply Inc. has also seen a rise in popularity in products that can be used for telecommuting.
The Okayama-based company produces a tent for use indoors that creates a private space within a room. The Privacy Tent is priced at 7,980 yen including tax.
A frequent concern among people who use video conferencing tools when telecommuting is that the people they are communicating with can see parts of their homes.
"Displaying pictures or magazine cutouts on your walls is a simple way to convey your personality or show off your hobbies during teleconferences," interior coordinator Akiko Kuroda said. "It can be a good opportunity for small talk in meetings that tend to be only about business."
The web conference service Zoom allows users to change the background image that other users see during calls. Although the technology is imperfect, with users sometimes appearing to merge into the background, attaching green paper to a rear wall is said to improve the quality of the generated image. A large sheet of green paper about 60 centimeters by about 85 centimeters placed against a wall should do the job.
"The number of people working from home will continue to increase. I recommend using this time as an opportunity to create a comfortable environment at home in which you can work," Kuroda said.
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