How to Set Up an Ergonomic Workstation: A Practical Guide for Australian Workplaces

Most office workers spend between 1,500 and 2,000 hours a year at their workstation. How that workstation is set up has a direct effect on posture, comfort, fatigue, and the likelihood of developing musculoskeletal issues over time. According to Safe Work Australia, body stress is consistently among the leading causes of workers' compensation claims in Australia, accounting for more than a third of all serious claims.

The good news is that most ergonomic problems are preventable. A properly configured workstation does not require expensive equipment. It requires the right setup — desk height, chair adjustment, screen position, keyboard placement — applied consistently.

This guide covers how to set up an ergonomic workstation for sustained daily use in an Australian workplace, what to check at each step, and the furniture features that make the difference over the long run.

What Makes a Workstation Ergonomic?

An ergonomic workstation is one that fits the person using it, not the other way around. The goal is to support a neutral body position — joints in their natural alignment, muscles relaxed, load distributed — so the body is not working harder than necessary to maintain posture throughout the day.

Ergonomics is not a product category. It is a configuration principle. The same desk and chair can be ergonomic for one person and poorly set up for another, depending on how they are adjusted. This is why adjustability is the defining feature of a good ergonomic workstation — not price, brand, or appearance.

In practice, an ergonomic workstation setup covers five elements: chair, desk, monitor, keyboard and mouse, and accessories such as footrests and monitor arms. Each element interacts with the others. Getting one right and ignoring the rest produces a partial result.

Step 1: Set Up the Chair First

The chair is the foundation of the ergonomic setup. Every other adjustment — desk height, screen position, keyboard placement — is made relative to how the chair is configured. Set the chair up correctly before touching anything else.

Seat height. Adjust the seat so both feet rest flat on the floor with knees at roughly the same height as the hips. Thighs should be parallel to the floor or angled very slightly downward. If your feet cannot reach the floor at the correct seat height, use a footrest rather than lowering the seat and compromising the knee angle.

Lumbar support. Adjust lumbar height so the support sits in the natural inward curve of the lower back — typically between the waistband and the bottom of the ribcage. The support should feel like it is meeting the back, not pushing it forward. If the chair has depth adjustment on the lumbar support, use it. A lumbar position that feels right on day one but causes discomfort after three hours needs further adjustment.

Seat depth. Slide the seat pan so there is roughly a fist-width of space between the back of the knee and the front edge of the seat. This prevents pressure on the popliteal area (behind the knee), which restricts circulation over time. Users who are shorter or taller than average benefit most from seats with adjustable depth.

Armrests. Adjust armrests to support the forearms with shoulders relaxed and elbows at roughly 90 degrees. Armrests set too high force the shoulders up; too low and they provide no support. If the armrests prevent the chair from being pulled close enough to the desk, lower or remove them. For most desk work, the forearms should be supported by the desk surface as much as by the armrests.

Backrest angle. A slight recline of 100 to 110 degrees reduces spinal compression compared to sitting bolt upright. The chair should provide support across the full range of natural movement — not lock the user into one position.

For a detailed breakdown of chair adjustment features and what to look for when selecting commercial seating, see the office chairs buyer's guide.

Step 2: Set the Desk Height

Once the chair is configured, set the desk height. With the chair at the correct seat height, the desk surface should sit at approximately elbow height — elbows at 90 degrees, forearms resting naturally on the desk without the shoulders being raised or the wrists bent.

Standard fixed-height commercial desks in Australia are typically manufactured at 720 mm to 730 mm, which suits users of average height in a correctly configured chair. If the user is significantly taller or shorter, a fixed desk at standard height will create a compromise somewhere — either in elbow angle or in the chair height needed to reach the surface.

This is where height adjustable desks provide their primary functional value. The ability to set the desk surface precisely for each user — and to change it throughout the day between sitting and standing — removes the compromise that fixed-height desks create for users at either end of the height range. In shared workstation environments, a motorised height adjustable desk allows each user to return to their saved height setting without manual re-measurement.

For standing use, the desk should rise to the point where the elbows are still at roughly 90 degrees — typically 950 mm to 1,100 mm depending on the user's height. Anti-fatigue matting helps reduce leg fatigue during extended standing periods.

Step 3: Position the Monitor

Screen position is the most commonly incorrect element of an ergonomic workstation setup. The vast majority of desk workers have their monitor too low, which causes them to tilt the head downward throughout the day and creates cumulative strain through the neck and upper back.

Height. The top of the monitor should sit at or just below eye level when the user is seated in their correctly adjusted chair with good posture. This allows the eyes to look slightly downward to view the screen — which is the natural resting angle of the eyes — without the neck flexing forward or down significantly.

Distance. The screen should be approximately an arm's length away — roughly 500 mm to 700 mm from the eyes depending on screen size. Larger monitors can sit slightly further back. If the user finds themselves leaning forward to read the screen, the font size is too small or the screen is too far away — not too close.

Angle. Tilt the monitor very slightly back — typically 10 to 20 degrees from vertical. This keeps the screen surface perpendicular to the line of sight as the eyes look slightly downward.

Multiple monitors. For dual monitor setups, position the primary screen directly in front and the secondary screen to the side at the same height. If both screens are used equally, place them side by side centred on the user's midline. Avoid setups where one monitor sits higher than the other — this creates asymmetric neck rotation throughout the day.

Step 4: Position the Keyboard and Mouse

With the desk at the correct height and the monitor positioned correctly, place the keyboard and mouse so the wrists are in a neutral position — straight, not flexed up or bent down — with elbows at roughly 90 degrees.

The keyboard should sit close to the front of the desk, not pushed back toward the monitor. Reaching forward to type raises the shoulders and creates tension. The mouse should be positioned at the same level as the keyboard and within easy reach without the arm extending outward.

Wrists should not rest on the keyboard or mouse while actively typing or clicking. Wrist rests are designed for use during pauses, not during active input. Resting on the wrist compresses the carpal tunnel and increases the risk of repetitive strain over time.

If the user types for extended periods, an ergonomic keyboard — split or angled to match the natural angle of the forearms — can reduce the rotation required in the wrists and forearms. This is particularly relevant for users who have already experienced wrist or forearm discomfort.

Step 5: Check the Full Setup

Once all elements are in position, sit in normal working posture and run through this checklist before locking in the configuration.

If any of these checks fail, adjust the element responsible before moving on. A single misalignment — a seat that is 30 mm too high, a monitor that is 100 mm too low — creates compensatory posture through the entire chain above and below it.

Sit-Stand Workstations and Ergonomic Setup

Height adjustable desks allow the user to alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day, which reduces the static load on the spine and lower body that sustained sitting creates. The research on sit-stand working is consistent: alternating positions reduces discomfort and fatigue compared to sitting for extended unbroken periods.

However, standing with poor posture is not better than sitting with good posture. The ergonomic principles for standing use are the same as for sitting: neutral spine, elbows at 90 degrees, monitor at eye level. The desk height changes; the setup principles do not.

A practical approach for sit-stand working is to change position every 30 to 60 minutes rather than standing for extended blocks. The benefit comes from the movement and postural change, not from standing itself. Anti-fatigue matting at the workstation reduces leg and lower back fatigue during standing periods, particularly on hard floors.

Ergonomic Setup for Shared and Hot-Desk Workstations

Shared workstations present a specific challenge: the setup that works for one user will not work for another without adjustment. In hot-desking environments, a workstation that cannot be reconfigured quickly and accurately will default to a compromise position that suits no one well.

The practical solution is furniture with wide adjustment ranges and fast, tool-free adjustment mechanisms. A motorised height adjustable desk with programmable memory settings allows each user to recall their saved height with a single button press. An ergonomic chair with clearly marked adjustment levers and a wide seat height range accommodates a broader range of body types than a standard task chair.

Where multiple users share the same workstation across shifts or during the same day, consider providing a brief one-page setup card at each workstation showing the five adjustment steps above. Most adjustment-related discomfort in shared environments comes not from inadequate furniture but from users not adjusting it from the previous occupant's settings.

Common Ergonomic Workstation Mistakes

The following setup errors appear consistently across office environments and are straightforward to correct once identified.

The Role of Furniture in Ergonomic Workstation Setup

Correct setup starts with the right furniture. No amount of adjustment compensates for a chair with a fixed seat height that does not suit the user, or a desk that cannot be raised or lowered to the correct position.

For commercial environments, ergonomic office chairs with independent lumbar, seat depth, armrest and tilt adjustment give users the range they need to achieve a correct setup. Commercial-grade construction ensures the adjustment mechanisms remain accurate and smooth under daily use rather than loosening over time.

Height adjustable desks are increasingly the default specification for new office fitouts in Australia, particularly in shared environments. They remove the fixed-height compromise and allow the workstation to be accurately configured for each user, each session.

Office Furniture Company (OFC) supplies commercial-grade workstations and ergonomic seating to businesses, government, education and healthcare clients across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, with space planning, delivery and installation available nationwide.