Choose equipment around the work you do and the arrangement of your whole workstation, rather than buying a standard bundle. For sustained laptop use, a separate keyboard and mouse can let you raise the screen; add a monitor if your work calls for more visible space, and consider a dock or USB-C monitor only after checking the exact laptop's video and charging capabilities.
If you use a laptop for sustained work, consider whether its screen needs to be raised and whether separate input devices would make that arrangement workable. The Health and Safety Executive describes this laptop setup as part of its display screen equipment guidance.
If you regularly work at home and another location, consider how the display, keyboard, mouse and connections will work at home. Health and Safety Executive guidance says home and office arrangements should both be covered where workers use both locations.
If you want one laptop connection for a display, peripherals and charging, check the exact laptop and dock or monitor together. USB-C connector shape alone does not establish which video and power functions will work.
Start with the issue that would drive your first equipment change, then check whether the proposed arrangement fits the rest of your desk. For regular home or hybrid work in Great Britain, the Health and Safety Executive says a display screen equipment assessment should consider the whole workstation, the work and individual requirements.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Laptop screen and input position | Check whether a riser can raise the screen while a separate keyboard and mouse fit the available desk space. | When I use a laptop for long stretches, I want to raise its screen without relying on its built-in keyboard. Around 36% of consumers put laptop positioning and separate input first. |
| Visible workspace | Check the laptop's video output against the monitor's inputs, and consider screen placement and desk depth. | If my work needs more visible space, I want a separate display that I can position at my desk. Roughly 29% of consumers put extra screen space first. |
| Single-cable connections | Check the exact laptop's video mode, charging requirement and supported display configuration against the dock or USB-C monitor. | When I connect a laptop to displays and peripherals, I want a repeatable setup that can also charge it if supported. Around 21% of consumers make connection compatibility their primary concern. |
| Calls and collaboration | Check the accessory's connection and conferencing-app compatibility, alongside the room's audio and lighting needs. | On frequent calls, I want camera and audio equipment that suits my working conditions. Roughly 14% of consumers put call equipment first. |
A monitor, stand or keyboard may address one part of a workstation without addressing the work conditions or the rest of the setup. Health and Safety Executive guidance calls for assessment of the whole workstation and individual requirements.
Use the workstation assessment process to identify whether display position, input devices, connections or communication equipment needs attention, then choose the relevant component.
USB-C devices can differ in power delivery and connection modes. Microsoft's USB-C guidance identifies compatibility and power problems, while dock and monitor specifications remain conditional on the host laptop.
Compare the exact laptop model's port, video and charging capabilities with the proposed dock or monitor, including the intended number of displays and the required cable.
In Great Britain, the Health and Safety Executive says workers cannot be charged when a display screen equipment assessment identifies action such as providing equipment. That does not make every preferred accessory an assessed requirement.
Ask your employer how the assessment, equipment selection, ordering and ownership will work before making a personal purchase. Acas also advises discussing home-working equipment arrangements with employees.
Relevant when comparing specified USB-C docks and monitors for a particular laptop.
Relevant when comparing docking connections such as USB-C, USB4 and Thunderbolt.
Relevant when separate keyboards and other input or communication peripherals are the identified need.
Not automatically: choose equipment to address the needs identified in your workstation arrangement. The Health and Safety Executive says an assessment should consider the whole workstation, work conditions and individual requirements; for sustained laptop use, it describes a separate keyboard and mouse that allow the screen to be raised.
In Great Britain, the Health and Safety Executive says employers must assess a workstation when workers use display screen equipment daily as part of normal work for continuous periods of an hour or more. Its guidance says the regulations can apply to permanent or long-term home workers and hybrid workers, with both home and office arrangements covered when both are used.
Under Health and Safety Executive guidance for Great Britain, workers cannot be charged where a display screen equipment assessment identifies action such as providing equipment. Whether a particular item is needed depends on the assessment, so agree the equipment and ordering process with your employer before buying it yourself.
No: the USB-C connector alone does not establish charging or two-monitor support. Check the exact laptop's USB-C, USB4 or Thunderbolt capabilities, video mode and charging requirement against the dock's supported host and display configuration; Microsoft notes that USB-C connection modes, compatibility and power delivery can differ.
No: tax treatment is not a general entitlement to reimbursement. GOV.UK says employers do not have to report or pay tax on equipment, services or supplies provided or reimbursed to an employee working from home if they are used only for business or any private use is insignificant; discuss the purchase arrangement with your employer separately.