Virtual/Remote Ergonomic Evaluation Steps

Get personalized ergonomic guidance for your home office, campus office, CSU Spur, or another satellite or off-site workstation through a virtual evaluation. Clear photos or video, discussion of your work activities, and guided measurements help CSU Ergonomics assess your setup and provide practical recommendations without an in-person visit.

Why Choose a Virtual Evaluation?

  • Professional guidance from CSU Ergonomics specialists.
  • Remote support for home offices, campus offices, CSU Spur, and other off-site workstations.
  • Assessment using workstation photos or video, discussion, and guided measurements.
  • Personalized recommendations for your equipment, working posture, and task requirements.
Request Your Virtual Office Ergonomic Evaluation

Considering an off-site in-person evaluation? Booking an in-person appointment online does not confirm travel to your location. Routine trips require at least three confirmed employees total, with four preferred, and RMI confirmation. Employees may initiate a group request with interested colleagues. RMI reviews the location after booking and, when travel cannot be confirmed, offers a virtual evaluation or a coordinated visit pending confirmation. See the Office Ergonomics Travel and Remote Service Procedure.

The Virtual Evaluation Process

To assess your workstation and working posture, we need clear views of your setup and how you normally work. Before your appointment, review the “Tips For Setting Up Your Camera” and example profile or side-view photos below.

Option A: Submit Photos/Video Before Your Appointment (Recommended for best assessment)

  • Submit clear photos and/or a short video showing your workstation and usual working posture. Follow the examples below, especially the side-profile views showing your body position in relation to your chair, desk, monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
  • Sending these visuals ahead of time allows your specialist to review your setup before the meeting and makes the appointment more productive.
  • Upload your photos/video to your evaluation profile or email them to CSU Ergonomics.

Option B: Show Your Workstation During a Live Virtual Meeting

  • Before your MS Teams or Zoom appointment, arrange your camera or phone to show your workstation and working posture from different angles, including a side-profile view.
  • Be prepared to move or reposition your device during the meeting. A straight-on view of your face alone does not provide enough information to assess your workstation.
  • If needed, ask someone to help position the camera so your specialist can see your posture and equipment while you demonstrate your usual work activities.
  • During your evaluation meeting, your specialist may guide you through taking a few simple measurements (e.g., desk height, monitor distance) to ensure optimal fit.
  • See below for “Measurements & Pictures.”

After your evaluation, you’ll receive recommendations tailored to your workstation and work activities. Level 1 evaluations provide concise documentation of key findings and recommendations; Level 2 evaluations provide a comprehensive report with more detailed assessment findings and recommendations.

What is Required of Employees?

  • Participation: Actively engage in the virtual evaluation process.
  • Provide Visuals: Submit photos/video or be prepared to show your workstation/posture during a live meeting.
  • Take Measurements: Assist with measurements as guided by the specialist.
  • Implement Recommendations: Follow the ergonomic recommendations provided in your report.

The remote evaluation process tries to replicate an in-person evaluation as much as possible. See the following website for additional details on the ergonomic evaluation process Office Ergonomic Evaluation Details.

NOTE: Employees must also be present at the office that they intend to have evaluated, not at another workstation, in a conference room, etc. 


Tips For Setting Up Your Camera (Pictures and/or MS Teams Meeting)

  • Lighting: Ensure adequate lighting so your workstation and posture are clearly visible. Avoid strong backlighting from windows.
  • Angles: Be prepared to provide views from different angles:
    • Full Workstation: A wide shot showing your entire desk, chair, and surrounding area.
    • Front View (You at Work): A shot of you sitting/standing at your computer as you normally would.
    • Side Profile View: A shot showing your side profile while working, focusing on your posture (head, shoulders, back, elbows, wrists).
    • Close-ups: Be ready to show close-ups of specific equipment (e.g., keyboard, mouse, chair controls).
  • Stability: If taking photos, use a stable surface or have someone help. If using a phone during a live meeting, ensure it can be positioned securely.
  • Beyond “Selfie Mode”: During live meetings, please be prepared to move your device to show the workstation and your full body posture, not just your face.

Example "Profile Shot" or "Side-View Shot"

Not all pictures may be feasible, however, please try to obtain these as best you can. From the side view, if only the knee level and up can be captured, that is fine as well. You may also take 2 or more pictures of “body sections” (that is – feet to knees & knees to top of head). 

View from right side (if feasible)

View from left side (if feasible)

View from behind (if feasible)

View from top (only if feasible)

Measurements & Pictures

During your evaluation, your specialist may ask for the following:

  • Desk Height: From the floor to the top of your work surface.
  • Monitor Distance: From your eyes to the screen.
  • Chair Dimensions: (e.g., seat height, armrest height if adjustable).
  • Specific equipment photos: Close-ups of chair controls, keyboard tray, etc.
  • Instructions on how to take these measurements will be provided by your specialist.
  • Pictures/videos can be uploaded to your evaluation profile or emailed to [email protected] 


If there are questions on the process not answered here, please contact us. 

Contact CSU Ergonomics