For most of us, working from home has been a one-off luxury, working around sick kids or tradesmen appointments, but how do you do it successfully day-to-day with the constant temptation of Netflix, doing the washing and, in these days of self-quarantine, kids and spouses?
Here’s some helpful hints for your employees who may be working from home until the current health crisis is over –
- Keep your normal routine
Make sure that you still get up at the same time you would if you were going in to work. Go for a walk or to the gym (if current circumstances allow) at your regular time and get ready and dressed as if you were going into the Office. This will help you “feel” like you are at work.
- Have a dedicated office or space
Set up your own work space, whether you are lucky enough to have a study or if it’s just a dedicated space on the dining table. So, when you are at your desk, it means you are at work. Avoid setting up your laptop on the coffee table where watching Ellen at midday is just too distracting.
- Structure your day
Keep on track by following your normal daily structure. Plan your day by outlining what you will be working on in the morning and afternoon. Have your to-do lists handy and commit to what your will achieve each day.
- Use technology
Attend your usual meetings by telephone or video conference. Zoom or Skype meetings are easy to set up and can be used for multiple attendees which would be handy for team meetings. Use instant messaging or Google hangouts to keep in contact with your work colleagues and team members. It’s good to stay in touch and remind others that you are there if needed.
- Avoid social media
Keep your devices with your social media accounts separate to your at home work station, this way the temptation to scroll through Facebook won’t be easily at your fingertips. Log out of these accounts if they are on your work laptop to make it harder for you to check the latest updates.
- Announce you’re at work
While you may be working from home, you’re not “at home”. Make sure those around you know that when you’re at your dedicated work space, you are at work and they need to respect this.
- Remember to take breaks –
It’s easy to lose track of time when working from home, you don’t have as many interruptions by phone calls or questions from colleagues. Make sure you remember to take the time to eat!
Important Tip for Managers
Remember to make contact with all your employees at least daily and check on their wellbeing. It’s easy to feel isolated when working from home, particularly those who may not have family around them or are not used to working remotely. Get your team to interact together and encourage instant messaging or telephone conversations.
Need more pointers for successfully working from home or need help drafting your Working Remotely Policy? Contact HBA Consulting today for further information and professional advice on Human Resource Management
, Organisational Design and Industrial Relations matters.
