Setting Up the Home Office for Employees: An HR Guide Based on DGUV (2026)
How employers should equip their employees' home office – along the 3 DGUV scenarios and consistently by product category (chair, desk, IT) instead of rigid bundles.
Almost half of all employees now work from home regularly – but only a fraction have a workspace that actually meets the recommendations of Germany's Statutory Accident Insurance (DGUV). For HR and employers, that means back and neck complaints, productivity losses and, in the worst case, a compliance problem. This guide shows how to equip employees in the home office by product category – instead of with rigid bundles.
Why HR shouldn't leave "setting up the home office" to employees
According to Fraunhofer research, around 10 % of all remote workers have no fixed workspace at all, while another 34 % work at the dining or living room table. That's not just ergonomically problematic – it's a legal issue: the risk assessment for the home office is the employer's responsibility, regardless of whether work happens at a desk, the kitchen table or in an armchair. Those who don't actively equip still carry the risk.
The 3 home-office types – and what the DGUV recommends for each
The DGUV distinguishes three typical home-office scenarios. Each has its own minimum dimensions. For HR leaders, this table is the fastest reality check.
| Scenario | Work surface | Leg room | Movement radius | Lighting | Seating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 – Dedicated study (≈ 50 %) | 1,600 × 800 mm | 800 mm | 1,600 × 1,000 mm | ≥ 500 lux, ideally daylight | Ergonomic swivel chair on castors |
| Type 2 – Dining or living room (≈ 34 %) | 1,200 × 800 mm | 800 mm | 1,200 × 800 mm | ≥ 500 lux | Conference chair minimum |
| Type 3 – Improvised / nomad (≈ 10 %) | 800 × 600 mm | 600 mm | 800 × 800 mm | ≥ 500 lux | Conference chair minimum |
Source: DGUV recommendations, Fraunhofer IAO "Home Office Experience".
Equip by product category – the HR logic instead of rigid bundles
At onyo we've learned one thing: bundles sound simple but fail in practice. A 1.75 m designer with a knee injury needs a different setup than a 1.92 m engineer with two monitors. That's why we work consistently along three product categories – employees choose within the budget HR has approved.
1. Office chair – the single most important piece
Anyone sitting 6–8 hours a day needs not a conference chair but an ergonomic office chair for the home office. What HR should look for:
- Synchronous mechanism with weight regulation
- Adjustable lumbar support – not a fixed curve
- 4D armrests for varying desk heights
- Seat depth adjustment – mandatory for anyone under 1.65 m or over 1.85 m
- Hard-floor castors for parquet, soft castors for carpet
For Type 2 and 3 (small spaces) there are slim swivel chairs that visually fit a living room while remaining ergonomically on par with office equipment.
2. Desk – height-adjustable is standard, not premium
A height-adjustable desk for the home office is no longer a luxury in 2026 – it's the baseline, whenever the living situation allows:
- Type 1: electric sit-stand desk, 160 × 80 cm, with memory presets
- Type 2: compact desk (120 × 70 cm) or a sit-stand converter on the dining table
- Type 3: folding desk or mobile laptop stand for occasional standing
3. IT & peripherals – where most setups fail
The most common mistake: employees work 8 hours hunched over the laptop screen. The DGUV requires the top edge of the display at eye level – impossible without peripherals:
- Monitor: at least 24″, height-adjustable stand or monitor arm
- External keyboard & mouse – non-negotiable when working laptop-only
- Headset with active noise cancellation for calls
- Daylight / task lamp delivering ≥ 500 lux at the workspace, ideally bio-dynamic
- Docking station – one cable instead of five
Who pays – and how does it stay tax-clean?
This surprises many HR leaders: if the employer provides the equipment as company property (loan), it's a pure operating expense – no benefit in kind, no income tax. The picture changes with the home office allowance or with outright gifts. More in our comparison: self-procurement vs. onyo.
How to roll it out operationally
- Capture the need: ask about living situation (Type 1–3) and body measurements – don't guess.
- Release a category budget: e.g. chair ≤ €600, desk ≤ €800, IT ≤ €500 per person.
- Delegate the choice to employees: via a self-service portal, within the approved frame.
- Buy delivery, assembly, management and return as a service – don't try to run it in-house.
That's exactly what onyo Equipment is built for – end-to-end, compliance included, without HR or IT juggling furniture catalogues.
Bottom line
"Setting up the home office" is no longer a private living-room question in 2026 – it's an HR, occupational-safety and productivity topic. Those who think in product categories (chair, desk, IT) rather than rigid bundles get setups that actually fit the people – across all three DGUV scenarios.
For HR deep-dive: see the complete HR guide on home-office equipment 2026 – with legal basis, cost models and a checklist.
Want to see what this looks like concretely for your team? Book a 30-minute call – or create your platform yourself for free.
