For better or for worse, remote work has become the norm as we have adjusted to life during the pandemic. This transition has its definite plusses and minuses, such as increased precaution paralleled by declining mental health. Regardless, we’ve got to do the best we can to keep moving and accomplish our goals. Depending on your industry, how your transition to remote work looked varies across the board. Different organizations have different needs, after all. That being said, we’ve compiled a universally useful list of equipment HR can provide for employees in order to ease their transition and to facilitate productivity.

Laptop

In most industries nowadays, it’s nearly impossible to function without a computer - especially in the age of remote work. Our laptops have become our offices, as we use them to handle our actual work, take meetings, schedule our professional obligations, and so much more. Providing your team with this necessity eliminates any concern about a lack of resources. Most of the other items in this list are “nice-to-have” products, but the laptop is an absolute staple for any remote employee.

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Apple MacBook Air 

Price: From $999.00

The Apple MacBook Air (and any MacBook model,really) is an extremely popular option for companies that supply their employees with a laptop! With speedy processing, great versatility, sleek aesthetic and the potential to connect with the rest of the Apple ecosystem, your team is sure to love these!

Dell Vostro 3400 Laptop

Price: $499.00

We know how expensive laptops can get, so the Dell Latitude is an affordable favorite for working from home. At $499.00, it has all of the features your employee may need, including Mobile Connect and ExpressCharge! This computer also features ports for accessories to improve productivity.

Printer

A printer is a staple in any office set up, and a home office is no different. The uses of a printer are fairly obvious, from printing documents to scanning to even faxing, if your organization utilizes that. Giving these to your team gets them one step closer to making their home office fully functional!

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Canon Pixma MG3620 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Printer

Price: $79.99

This printer does it all for a price tag that isn’t too crazy! With built-in wifi and Duplex Printing, this option is sure to meet your team’s needs. Ink is included with the printer, but your employees may appreciate you stocking them up with some additional cartridges as well!

HP ENVY Pro 6455 All-In-One Printer

Price: $149.99

This option is a little pricier than the last one, but it’s still a great choice! Our favorite features with this printer include automatic two-sided printing and self-healing wifi connectivity. If it fits in your budget, check this one out!

Tablet

Depending on your industry, this item may or may not be an essential. Either way, a tablet can enhance the remote work experience! They come in handy when planning presentations, graphs, and charts, while web-conferencing, reading and filling out documents, and so much more! If your organization revolves around something like graphic design, a tablet and stylus has its obvious benefits.

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Apple iPad Air

Price: From $599.00

Arguably one of the most popular tablet options in the market today, the Apple iPad Air is a fantastic option for remote employees. The full screen front and sleek design makes this device both functional and classy. Add on an Apple Pencil (2nd Generation) for $129.00 and maybe even the Magic Keyboard for $299.00 and you’ve got the whole set up!

Samsung Galaxy Tab A

Price: $239.00

Here’s a more budget-friendly option from Samsung! With a long-lasting battery and expandable storage, this tablet is a great option for smaller operations.

Company Phone

Life can get very busy very quickly. We all have family and friends to tend to outside of work. Managing all of these connections on one phone can get overwhelming. Consider providing a designated work phone to contain all professional contact to one device! This separation between personal and professional could be a great idea seeing as how remote work already blurs the lines between home and work.

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Apple iPhone 12

Price: From $699.00

This iPhone is a solid option for a company phone, especially if your company uses other equipment within the Apple ecosystem. The big selling point for this phone is its 5G speed, perfect for optimizing your organization’s operations!

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G

Price: $799.99

Also featuring 5G technology, this is another great choice for a company phone! This option comes in a bunch of fun colors and features a phenomenal display. See if this one’s right for you!

Power Bank

It can feel like we’ve got 98 gadgets and gizmos running at the same time. With laptops, phones, tablets, smart watches, and so much more, a handy power bank can ensure that the essentials are always ready to go when you need them. Whether you run out of outlets or you need to charge on-the-go, this tool can end up being a life-saver.

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Anker Portable Charger, PowerCore Essential

Price: $39.99

This power bank packs a massive 20,000mAh cell capacity, meaning it’ll give you charge after charge after charge! Also, the twin USB ports allow you to charge two devices at once. Here’s truly one of the best portable chargers you can find!

Bluetooth Headphones

Working from home could mean working with the ambient noise of other family members, so this is a solid option to help maintain a quiet and peaceful work environment. This is a piece of tech that your team is sure to love because they can use it outside of work as well! These headphones can transition seamlessly from the virtual office to an evening workout, and your team is sure to appreciate that versatility.

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Apple Airpods Pro

Price: $249.00

This one’s yet another wildly popular product from Apple. These headphones feature adjustable earpieces and noise cancellation, which is perfect for tuning out distractions and maintaining focus. Apple offers a “Free Engraving” service, so consider personalizing them to each employee!

Beats Flex

Price: $49.99

These headphones feature magnetic earpieces, a 12-hour battery, and a quick 10-minute charge time. For the price, these can’t be beat.

Blue Light Glasses

One thing that we’ve become a little too acquainted with over this past year is our screens, be it our phones, tablets, laptops, or televisions. These glasses can help alleviate some of the inevitable eye strain. Not to mention they’re super stylish as well! Think about giving your employees some design options so that they can choose before you send them out.

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Blue Light Blocking Glasses - 3 Pack

Price: $16.98

Protect your eyes while staying stylish! If you visit this link, you’ll find ample color combinations so that you can find a set of three that really suits your team members. Let them choose their set and then send them out! Your team and their strained eyes will thank you.

Standing Desk

Here’s an item that’s slowly becoming more commonplace. The professional world is becoming more aware of the health benefits of a standing desk as opposed to your standard sitting one. This would be a neat piece of equipment to provide for your employees so that they may benefit from reduced back pain, better blood flow, and maybe even higher productivity!

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Realspace 48”W Electric Height-Adjustable Standing Desk

Price: $329.99

Find your perfect desk height with a push of a button! This desk boasts a weight capacity of 100 pounds and it provides one file drawer for storage needs. This piece of equipment is definitely more of an extra splurge, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it!

Office Chair

Whether we’re at home or in the office, we arguably spend way too much time at our desks. Our posture is suffering, contributing to what we like to call “work neck.” Think about giving your employees a good office chair that’s comfortable, but also won’t kill their backs. Pair this with our standing desk option from earlier to alternate between sitting and standing and you’ll be well on your way.

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Ergonomic Desk Chair w/ Lumbar Support

Price: $40.99

Here’s a great option that’s not too expensive and is sure to look great with virtually any office set up! We want to put emphasis on the “lumbar support” aspect of this product, as that’s a huge plus.

Insulated Water Bottle

While this isn’t necessarily essential to remote work, it’s definitely nice to have! Similar to the headphones from earlier, this is something that transitions from the office to daily use. It can feel like now that we’re remote, we spend even more time working than before. The time slips away and it’s important to stay hydrated throughout the day. I know my water bottle has helped remind me to drink more water, so do the same for your team!

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Hydroflask 32 oz Wide Mouth Bottle w/ Straw Lid

Price: $49.95

This one’s a personal favorite. I keep this bottle by my side no matter what, whether I’m at work, going to class, spending the day out and about, or just lounging around at home. I try to drink two of these a day, and it definitely helps me keep track of my water consumption. We can’t recommend this enough!

Wireless Computer Accessories

A simple way to upgrade any at-home set up is by adding wireless accessories, such as mice and keyboards, to the mix! These bluetooth devices can make a workspace so much more functional and efficient. While they’re not a necessity, they undeniably add value to the the work-from-home experience!

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Logitech M720 Triathlon Multi-Computer Wireless Mouse

Price: $34.99

This mouse can seamlessly pair with three devices, increasing functionality and productivity significantly. Note that it is contoured in favor of right-handed people, so you may want to look elsewhere for your left-handed employees. With average use, the battery should last a solid two years.

Logitech MX Keys Wireless Keyboard

Price: $99.99

We love this wireless keyboard! You can work with multiple devices seamlessly, similar to the mouse we just mentioned, even if one is a Mac and one is a PC! Also, the backlit keys make it even more special.

Desk Lamp

This one’s function is pretty basic - if you need to work, you need to see. For those evening sessions of getting work out of the way, a good desk lamp is an absolute must.

Check out these options!

Light Society LS-T261-BK Hylight Retro Desk Lamp

Price: $26.29

For a more vintage look, think about going with this option! Composed of iron and at an affordable price, you’ll certainly get your money’s worth out of this purchase. Not to mention, it just looks super cool.

Dean LED Task Lamp

Price: $30.00

If you’re going for a more modern and minimal look, this choice may be more your speed. This lamp features an LED bulb for energy efficiency and a touch sensor to turn it on and off! It’s simple, elegant, and sure to be a company favorite.

Final Thoughts

The first step to a smooth work-from-home experience is to make sure that you’re positioning your team for success. By providing the tools and equipment your employees need, you’re alleviating a lot of the stress that remote work entails. Additionally, you’re showing your team that you’ve got their back - they won’t feel lost as they adjust. Try sending out some of these suggestions and see the impact they have on your remote day-to-day!