Home Office Setup Guide for Australian Remote Workers

Choosing the Right Space

The ideal home office has: natural light (but not on your monitor screen), a door you can close, minimal noise disturbance, and enough floor area for a desk, chair, and storage. A dedicated room is preferable to a shared space — it creates psychological separation between work and home life.

Ergonomic Essentials

• 1 Desk height: 700-730mm for seated work; adjustable sit-stand desks reduce back pain significantly
• 2 Monitor height: top of screen at or just below eye level when seated upright
• 3 Chair: adjustable seat height, lumbar support, armrests — spend at least $400 on a quality chair
• 4 Monitor distance: arms-length from face (approximately 60cm)
• 5 Keyboard and mouse: at elbow height, wrists neutral

Connectivity

Wi-Fi is unreliable for video calls and large file transfers. Install an ethernet data point in your office — it costs $150–$300 and dramatically improves connection reliability. If you can't run ethernet, a powerline adapter (plugs into power points) is a reasonable compromise.

ATO Home Office Deductions

The ATO allows home office deductions for people who genuinely work from home. From 2023-24, the revised fixed rate method allows 67 cents per hour worked from home to cover electricity, internet, phone, and stationery. You can also claim depreciation on furniture and equipment used for work. Keep a log of hours worked from home.

Acoustic Treatment

For regular video calls, acoustic treatment reduces echo and background noise. Simple options: bookshelves full of books on opposite walls, heavy curtains, acoustic foam panels (available from music stores). A dedicated room with a soft furnishing is usually adequate without specialist acoustic treatment.