Working from Home

Chris Clarke (The Guardian)

Working from Home

Tips and Tricks to get the best out of working from home

In a nutshell!

  • Have a separate work space – an area that mentally prepares you for work mode
  • Set up your work space – desk, proper lighting, chair …
  • Get the right technology – internet access, computer, audio, phone …
  • Get the right software – applications, communications …
  • Establish a routine – set a starting time, and most importantly, a finishing time
  • Remove, or remove yourself from, distractions
  • Get outside at least once a day – fresh air and a change of scenery is great for preventing ‘cabin fever’

 

At Outdoors Queensland we use a Working at Home Safety Checklist to help ensure that working conditions at home are up to standard.

The attached file can be used as a template to create your own Safety Checklist.

Useful Reading

The Dashlane Guide to Hybrid Work

The Dashlane Guide to Hybrid Work

Definitions, guardrails, and practical advice based on real
experiences from the Dashlane People Team

Preparing for a Remote Interview

Preparing for a Remote Interview

Remote work is here to stay … which means so is remote hiring. To ace this relatively new process, you need to be prepared for the quirks of interviewing from home. Here are five ways to set yourself apart.

  • Take time to set up your space. Have a clean, uncluttered background, and check your lighting so it’s falling on you, not behind you.
  • Make sure to do an internet-speed test so technical lags don’t break the flow of your conversation.
  • Prepare for the unexpected. Master the platform you’ll be using for your interview, and keep notes handy so that you don’t forget to make an important point.
  • Rehearse before you go live. Monitor your pace so it’s easy for your audience to follow, use hand gestures, and sit with an upright and open posture.
  • Spark interesting conversations. Go beyond the usual small talk and ask questions about the team and the culture. Do a little research beforehand to see if you have any common interests or experiences with your interviewer.

This tip is adapted from “4 Tips to Nail a Virtual Job Interview” by Ben Laker et al.

Management Tip of the Day

A Balancing Act

The young professional’s guide to mental health while remote working and career planning

Remote working has unique challenges that are different from working in an office. Adapting as a young professional can be taxing, so how do you manage it?

2020 was an unprecedented year for most young professionals. Many hopefuls successfully graduated and found themselves with great opportunities to climb the career ladder at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, their lives were taken for a spin once the COVID-19 pandemic hit. National lockdowns forced businesses to adopt remote workflows, effectively turning homes into workplaces.

Remote working is perhaps the biggest concern for young professionals these days. While it initially sounded great to work from home as the world weathered the pandemic, the reality was a lot harsher than we could’ve imagined. Remote working forced us into unhealthy habits, it damaged our mental health, and it limited the potential of many young workers that had only just joined their industries. This isn’t true for everyone of course, but it’s how the vast majority of young remote workers were feeling throughout 2020.

But that didn’t stop them from chasing success.

Young professionals are a hungry breed of employee that will stop at nothing to climb the career ladder and obtain success. Unfortunately, this hard-working nature is a double-edged sword that can end their career if they’re not careful. Overworking yourself in a remote environment can create many unhealthy habits, eventually leading to poor mental health and a feeling that you’ve hit a roadblock in your career. With few companies hiring, young professionals have found themselves trapped in their home offices by the COVID-19 virus.

So in this guide, we’re going to talk about the importance of looking after your wellbeing while remote working. We’re going to focus on young professionals and how they can progress their careers despite all of the challenges that come with remote working. Read More

From A Balancing Act by Paul Brewer, The Sixth Degree Media.

A guide to remote work etiquette

A guide to remote work etiquette

Like most things in life, work is governed by unwritten rules. Pre-pandemic office life had its own norms to navigate: What time to schedule a lunch meeting? How many minutes to wait before knocking on a conference room door when someone else’s meeting was running late? We all had answers to these things without thinking about how we knew them.

Now we’re all remote and work is fully distributed. Distributed work has unwritten rules, too—but the rules are different. It’s a little like the difference between old-fashioned dating and online dating. When your interactions are virtual there’s more room for misinterpretation. Signals can get magnified and take on outsized importance. Is the word “Hey” in a chat thread a friendly greeting or the opening salvo of an incoming tirade?  Read More

Source: Dropbox

How do I set up a workstation at home?

How do I set up a workstation at home?

When working from home, the model WHS laws still apply. Just as in the office, your workstation must be set up in a way that is safe, comfortable and easy to use. Read More / Download Fact Sheet

Source: Safe Work Australia

Tips for creating a productive home office in the remote work era

Tips for creating a productive home office in the remote work era

In recent months, millions of people have transitioned from the standard office to the virtual workplace due to the coronavirus pandemic. While some organizations initially adopted remote work policies to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus in the short term, some companies have made long-term commitments to remote work in the years ahead. Needless to say, working from home does come with its own set of challenges. To assist, TechRepublic compiled a list of tips to keep in mind when designing a productive, dedicated workspace in the era of remote collaboration. Read More

Source: TechRepublic

Working from home: A guide to creating a healthy and productive workspace at home

Working from home

A guide to creating a healthy and productive workspace at home

Remote work is used to describe any work that doesn’t require you to travel to an office. The term covers people who work from home, whether that’s a couple of days a week or full-time.

This (UK based) guide focuses on remote workers who are based in their own home, and the unique challenges this presents. It’s become a more popular way of working as there are plenty of benefits for both employers and employees.

  • You don’t waste time or money travelling to an office.
  • You can schedule your work around family life.
  • It can have a significant impact on your quality of life.

But it’s not always easy, especially if you have to adjust from the traditional 9-5 in an office environment. Read More

Source
Cotswold.co

https://www.cotswoldco.com/

How To Work From Home

How To Work From Home

We’ve compiled everything we’ve learned from the last seven years of remote work experience and distilled it into our ultimate guide to working from home, covering everything from making sure your team is communicating to designing the optimal office.

Working from home doesn’t need to be difficult or demoralizing. With the right resources on your side, working from home can be an enriching experience. (Toggl)

Working From Home: 5 Environmental Factors Affecting Your Well-Being

Working From Home: 5 Environmental Factors Affecting Your Well-Being

https://www.purdueglobal.edu/blog/student-life/working-from-home-factors-affecting-well-being/

When you work from home—as an online student or remote employee—a number of environmental factors can affect your well-being. Prolonged screen exposure and lack of natural light, for example, may have negative effects on your physical and mental health. This article explores five environmental factors affecting your well-being and ways to adjust your workspace to benefit your overall health. Read Full Article

Source: Purdue University Global

Tips For Creating a Home Office in a Small Space

Tips For Creating a Home Office in a Small Space

If you’re struggling to work from home or you feel like you don’t have enough space to, here are some quick and easy tips to make space for a home office: read full article

  • Choose the right space
  • Manage your cables
  • Colour schemes actually help
  • Windows and sunlight are your friends.
  • Water!
  • Go tall
  • Divide a space up
  • Ergonomics
  • Use storage creatively
  • Set boundaries with the people you share the space with

Source: West Coast Self Storage

How to Work from Home Efficiently with Kids

How to Work from Home Efficiently with Kids

Working from home takes a lot of planning for anyone, but adding kids into the equation entails an extra layer of complexity. Even the most well-behaved, self-sufficient children require (or request!) parental attention at some point during the day when they know Mom or Dad is home. To make a working-from-home situation as effective a setup as possible, there are key actions every parent should take … read more

Source: Work from Home Depot

A Collection of Useful Resources40+ Work From Home Tools, Resources, and Tips During COVID-19

40+ Work From Home Tools, Resources, and Tips During COVID-19

Hundreds of thousands of digital marketers are finding themselves working from home for the first time in their careers. And, for many of us, it’s challenging to navigate. Between shouldering stress from the current COVID-19 crisis, handling pressure from shifting priorities, or facing an entirely new—and potentially not-so-focused—workspace, getting your job done may seem impossible.

And if it is impossible, hopefully your company has given you flexibility to take some mental health time. But if you’re trying to power through, it’s vital to have the right tools and resources to stay productive.

Here’s a list of work from home tools and resources we’ve gathered from marketers in our company, giving you a curated list of what we’ve seen to be effective.
Read on …

Source: Campaign Monitor

 

Lockdown Adventure Training: Ways to Stay Active At Home (Cool of the Wild)

Lockdown Adventure Training: Ways to Stay Active At Home

Woman on surfboard in garden

Whether you’re after some lockdown adventure training inspiration or want to try new ways to stay active at home, we’ve got you covered. In this article you’ll find real people resorting to crazy, inspirational and amusing ways to get their adventure kicks and stay active at home.

Lockdown means different things to everyone. For some it is a scary and unsettling time. For others it is full of unknowns that are exciting. Many people are even enjoying the slower pace of life that comes with isolation. But whilst they’re chilling out and embracing the good life, there are those who are reaching breaking point and climbing the walls with cabin fever, literally!

Adventurers, outdoorsy folk and active people are amongst those who are really feeling the strain of confinement. And although there are many of us who are not able to muster positive action right now, there are also those who are not letting this crazy situation stop their progress.

Now, more than ever, the need to be creative and innovative is key to staying sane and healthy. There are a ton of ways to stay active at home that will not only help with physical health, but also with mental health.

Source: Cool of the Wild

Exercise at home

For many transitioning to working from home, it means prolonged hours in a workspace that you’re not used to.

As healthy and active individuals we want to reduce our time spent undertaking sedentary activities. Daily flexibility, mobility and exercise routines are a great way to reduce our time spent sitting and maintain both a healthy body and a healthy mind (read ‘perspective on life’).

Check out the following options:

See also
High Performance at Home – Latest tips & advice from the NSW Institute of Sport

 

Some Tips to Help You Meet Like a Pro (Zoom)

New to Working from Home?
Here Are Some Tips to Help You Meet Like a Pro

With many businesses now encouraging or even mandating that employees work from home amid global health concerns over the coronavirus, millions of people can expect to have their daily routines and work styles impacted. But not everyone is accustomed to working from home, and getting into work mode from a space that’s not your regular one can be a huge adjustment.

The bright side of working from home is that you save time on a commute, spend more time with family, and maybe get a few more things done around the house. But the challenges, including loneliness, staying connected, and a heightened penchant for distraction, can have a significant effect on your psyche and productivity. So, we’re here to help!

Whether you’re relegated to working from a spare bedroom, coffee shop, the library, or the lobby of your apartment building, we’ve compiled some tips to help you get set up, limit distractions, maintain confidentiality, and meet like a pro, no matter where you are.

Read Full Article

How to Work from Home: 14 Tips

How to Work from Home: 14 Tips from Aspen Grove Studios

With a pandemic going on around us, remote work is on the rise. Many companies are allowing workers to work remotely from home and many workers how have lost their jobs have started to look for work online.

Working from home requires a completely different mindset than working at an employer’s location. In this article, we’ll share 14 tips for how to work at home to help you keep your productivity and sanity while keeping your work life and home life separate.  Read More

Top 10 PROVEN Tips to Setup a Temporary Work From Home Office Successfully

Top 10 PROVEN Tips to Setup a Temporary Work From Home Office Successfully

The one question I am often asked by acquaintances and customers is: How do I ensure business continuity when I allow my team to work from home?

My answer is – make sure you create a culture and technology environment to allow a successful setup of a temporary work from home station.

I understand that for some people, working from home instead of the conventional workplace may be a cultural shock at first. Some people even consider working from home rather unproductive, they feel lonely and not motivated enough to finish projects because they miss the company of others. In my opinion, this is a very old way of looking at a workspace.  Read More

Source
Henry Kayser
LinkedIn

If you're working from home who's responsible for your safety?

If you’re working from home who’s responsible for your safety?

More and more employees in Australia are being encouraged or directed to work from home in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. …

But what if you injure yourself while working at home, or don’t have the proper equipment to do your job safely?

Source: ABC News

You’re working remotely. Now what? 20 tips for success.

You’re working remotely. Now what? 20 tips for success.

Amazon, Twitter, CNN, and Facebook are just a few of the companies requiring their in-office employees to work remotely in response to the coronavirus outbreak. This may seem like a dream – some workers are wondering if they’ll ever go back – but for teams, managers, and businesses who are not well-versed in remote work, this sudden change may feel like a nightmare. Since more than 40% of our team at Poll Everywhere works remotely, we’ve curated their top 20 tips for success, whether you’re a seasoned remote worker or brand new to the game.

Read on …

Source: Poll Everywhere

Here’s How To Work From Home Like A Total Pro ...

Here’s How To Work From Home Like A Total Pro From Someone Who Does It All Year Long

So, here’s what we do know, COVID-19 has everyone shook. And rightly so, loads of companies are encouraging their employees to work from home (WFH) in an effort to stop the spread of the disease and the likelihood of contracting it.

While WFH might sound pretty glorious at the beginning (hello no pants life), for those who aren’t used to working solo is can prove a bit challenging to stay on track and motivated when Neflix is just a mere click away.

To help you get through the foreseeable future, I—an all-year-long WFH gal—have rounded up six tried and tested hacks you need to know to work from home like a legend.  READ ON …

Source: The Urban List

Tips From Experts - About Working From Home

Tips From Experts – About Working From Home

Our Co-Workers in Asia

When the novel coronavirus started spreading across Asia in January, forcing the world’s largest work-from-home experiment, not many knew what to expect, least of all Bloomberg’s 400-plus journalists in the region. Six weeks later (and counting), only now are some starting to return to the office.

Meanwhile, the great experiment is going worldwide as Covid-19 cases mount in the U.S. and Europe, with Spain and France joining Italy on lockdown, and cities such as New York grinding to a halt. Chances are that you, too, will be executing a mandatory telecommute sometime soon, if you aren’t already.

To help get you through your own ad-hoc, at-home office situation, we turned to our colleagues in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul, and Tokyo for tips and advice.

Read More

Source: Bloomberg

Tips for Setting Up Your Home Office

Tips for Setting Up Your Home Office

Working from home offers many advantages, including the flexibility of setting your own schedule, saving time and money by eliminating your daily commute, and allowing you to start a business with minimal overhead. However, being successful in a home office requires creating an office space that promotes efficiency in a non-traditional work environment.

Whether you are self-employed or telecommuting, take time to define a professional working space that separates your work from your personal life.

Read on …

Source: the balance small business

17 Items You Need to Set Up an Efficient Home Office

17 Items You Need to Set Up an Efficient Home Office

When you begin to set up your home office, one of two things tend to happen. Either you are unable to easily identify what equipment and technology you use every day so you underestimate what you will need to get your office up and running, and quickly find yourself struggling. You clearly see each individual item you may need and are overwhelmed by the thought of meeting every one of those needs down to the last staple.

In either of these cases, it wouldn’t be a surprise to find yourself running around in circles before you’re able to focus your efforts and create an office that will help you work productively.

Use this checklist to develop a well-rounded yet streamlined list of what you need in your home office. Check the items you absolutely need and circle the items you may eventually want to add to create a prioritized list of your home office essentials.

Check the list …

Source: the balance small business

https://www.thebalancesmb.com/a-checklist-for-setting-up-your-home-office-2951767

8 Tips To Make Working From Home Work For You

8 Tips To Make Working From Home Work For You

Never before have workers telecommuted on such a broad scale. Millions of people are trying to work from home — if they can, of course. Life Kit wants to help WFH work for you, especially if you’re doing so for the first time.

Here are some pro-tips for working remotely, possibly for an extended period of time.

Check out the tips …

 

13 Home Office Upgrades You Need If You Work Remotely

13 Home Office Upgrades You Need If You Work Remotely

Working from home is a dream to most, but it comes with its own challenges. Mentally leaving “home mode” and entering “work mode” can be difficult if you never physically leave your house and your bed is only steps away. How can you actually become inspired to get work done in such cozy conditions?

While it may be easy to flop down on the couch in your sweatpants and decide it’s your new office, curating the space you work from is essential to your productivity and state of mind. As a remote worker, taking the time to thoughtfully choose the right setup is a worthy investment of your time.

Read on …

Source: Doist

A Quick Security Checklist for Remote Workers (or Anyone, Really)

A Quick Security Checklist for Remote Workers (or Anyone, Really)

While distributed teams are on the rise, some leaders are hesitant to embrace remote because of the perceived security risks. Employees accessing company data on public wifi at a coffee shop in Bali is a chief security officer’s worst nightmare. But remote work is here to stay.

Companies need to find ways to allow location flexibility while also keeping data safe. Though there’s a lot that’s done on an infrastructure level to keep customer data secure, the truth is your company’s data is only as secure as the weakest individual link.

Read More

Source: Doist

Alexandru Acea (Unsplash)

Work for a cause, not for applause.
Live life to express, not to impress.
Don’t strive to make your presence noticed,
just make your absence felt.

(Anonymous)

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