Guidance on acquiring peripherals, computers, and ergonomic accessories

Summary: Berkeley Lab wants to ensure that remote work is conducted safely and productively. The following guidance is designed to assist employees and supervisors in making decisions about what remote work accessories might be needed and how to acquire them.

This guidance document tries to strike a balance between helping employees work from home safely and productively, while being fiscally responsible.

The Lab asks employees to exercise good stewardship during this period, including carefully considering needs, choosing economical solutions, and ensuring that all property is tracked by your division, including property without barcodes.

Employees are requested to be mindful of potential safety issues, especially when transporting equipment from offices ie. monitors, keyboard and/or mice. If any safety concerns are identified please do a ‘work pause’ and request assistance.

This is an Operations policy. Please direct questions to cimg@lbl.gov

Monitors

Guidance

If possible, bring your existing monitor home from work (this is an acceptable reason to come to the Lab). Don’t forget to bring the power cord and an appropriate cable. Please do not handle any equipment you feel you cannot safely move.

If it is not possible or feasible to use your LBL monitor, a monitor may be purchased with supervisor approval.

Your Division will advise you on procedures for return and re-purposing of the monitor at the end of the curtailment.

How To:

Bring your existing monitor home:

Check with your supervisor and email your Div Property Representative to tell them you’ve taken the monitor home.

Order a new monitor:

1. Get supervisor approval.

2. Select a monitor. Consult IT’s recommended monitor list. When considering your selection, choose an option that meets your minimal needs for remote work and that you can safely move to return it to the Lab at the end of the work curtailment.

3. Ask your Division PCard holder to place an order, or your requisition preparer to create a requisition. Do not use eBuy. Do not pay for the item and seek reimbursement. The item should be shipped to the employee's home.

4. Ensure the requisition indicates that supervisor approval has been received AND contains the location (e.g., your home) to directly send the monitor to.

Printers/ Scanners

Guidance

The Laboratory generally discourages the purchase of personal printers and scanners. Documents can be photographed by smartphones, PDFs can be read and filled out online, and HelloSign can be used for signatures.

If a particular position requires a personal printer for home use during this period, the employee should seek supervisor approval. If there is already a suitable printer available through your Division, the employee should bring that item home and notify the Division Property Rep.

If no suitable printer is available, consult help@lbl.gov for recommendations and then submit a requisition as described for monitors above. Your Division will advise you on procedures for return and re-purposing of the printer at the end of the curtailment.

How To:

Bring your existing desktop printer home (if applicable):

Check with your supervisor and email your Div Property Representative to tell them you’ve taken the printer home.

Order a new printer:

1. Get supervisor approval.

2. Select a printer. Consult IT’s recommended printer list. When considering your selection, choose an option that meets your minimal needs for remote work and that you can safely move to return it to the Lab at the end of the work curtailment.

3. Ask your Division PCard holder to place an order, or your requisition preparer to create a requisition. Do not use eBuy. Do not pay for the item and seek reimbursement.

4. Ensure the requisition indicates that supervisor approval has been received AND contains the location (e.g. your home) to directly send the printer to.

Computers

Guidance

Please see the section “Find Your Device” on https://remotework.lbl.gov/ to review options for computer use at home. Only submit a request for a new computer if there are no available options will meet your needs for working from home.

How To:

1. Visit go.lbl.gov/requestacomputer and submit the appropriate form to request a computer from IT.

2. IT will review the request, and if a system is available, will set it up and FedEx to the employee. The requester will be charged via recharge to the provided project and activity ID.

3. If an appropriate system is not available, IT will advise the requester to contact their division requisition preparer to purchase a system using drop shipping.

4. Procurement will get IT approval on all drop-shipped computer procurements.

5. IT will follow up to assist the user in initial setup, and to ensure that it complies with LBL security requirements.

Computers may not be purchased on Division PCards or reimbursed. If a computer needs to be drop-shipped, arrangements will be made for asset tagging.

Low Cost Ergo Accessories, Mice, Keyboards, Cables, and Accessories

Guidance

Keyboards, mice, footrests, wristrests, lap desks, laptop stands/risers, and seat/back cushions are allowable without approval from the EHS Ergonomics Team.

Cables and/or hubs are also allowable when needed for remote work (e.g. HDMI/DP cables, USB hubs, laptop docking hubs, etc).

All items in this category should be shipped directly to employee homes.

How To:

For Ergo Accessories:

Bring your existing ergo accessories home with you. Please inform your supervisor before coming onsite.

When it is not feasible to come onsite to obtain ergo accessories, consult the Laptop and Travel Accessories section of the Berkeley Lab Ergo Catalog. You are not limited to just the items in the catalog above - other items may be ordered as long as they are within the categories described under "Guidance."

These items are typically ordered via eBuy. During the curtailment the items should be ordered by Division PCard holder or you should Submit a Requisition through your Division Requisition Preparer. Items should be shipped directly to employee homes.

Employees can contact ergo@lbl.gov for any assistance.

For Cables, Hubs, and other Low Cost Peripherals:

Employees have 3 options:

• Select an item and have your Division PCard holder order it for you (ship to employee home)

• Contact help@lbl.gov - common items are in stock and may be picked up from Building 46 or shipped to employee home.

• Submit a Requisition through your Division Requisition Preparer (ship to employee home)

Other Ergonomic Accessories

Guidance

No ergonomic accessories except for those listed above may be purchased by employees/Divisions.

Restricted items include: any furniture including but not limited to: keyboard trays, monitor arms, chairs, desks, sit/stand desk top converters, sit/stand desks, lamps.

How To:

If you or your employee are having difficulty identifying strategies to work comfortably from home, contact ergo@lbl.gov.

Furniture

Guidance

Laboratory furniture including desks and chairs MAY NOT be brought home by employees.

If an employee has discomfort and/or a medical accommodation that warrants considering whether to supply furniture to the employee’s home, a case-by-case assessment will be conducted in coordination with the EHS Ergonomics Team and/or Health Services/Disability Management. This may result in the Lab’s procuring furniture or shipping furniture from the employee’s office to the employee’s home. Further details can be found at: Guidance for Obtaining Furniture for Employees During COVID-19 Shelter In Place.

How To:

If you or your employee are having difficulty identifying strategies to work comfortably from home, contact ergo@lbl.gov.

Special Guidance for Hiring Managers

For Operations Hiring Managers: Contact the IT Help Desk to request items for your new employee. IT Help Desk will work with you and/or your new employee to ship items or ready them for pickup.

For Science Division Hiring Managers: First contact your local Division IT support to see if they have a system intended for your new employee. If not, contact the IT Help Desk as above, specifying peripherals and monitors or instructing the help desk to reach out to the new employee directly. If the help desk cannot fulfill your order, the help desk will direct you to Procurement to complete a requisition for the needed items.

NOTE: IT currently has laptops and monitors IN STOCK and can fulfill requests much faster then the requisition process for new employees.