We are living in unprecedented times due to the Coronavirus, there’s a lot of uncertainty with regards to our jobs. There has been a growing need for employers to adapt and make the relevant provisions to their employees.
“A study for the UK’s Office of National Statistics (ONS) discovered that in April 2020, 46.6% of people in employment did some work at home“
The evolution of remote working
Remote work did exist over a decade ago but it was associated with job roles that were paid minimum wage such as in Telemarketing. Times have changed now and because everything is online now, work from home is much more doable and accepted. Statistics show 54.19% prefer to work from home because it saves them from wasting time commuting. It is said that 70% of workers feel that offering flexible working makes a job role more appealing to them.
Although remote working is much more preferred, it isn’t always rosy and it does come with its fair share of challenges.
The challenge of working from home
The distractions – Home brings its own distractions, whether it’s your housemates, pets or simply the fact that you’re struggling to stay focused since the home isn’t what you associate work with.
Time management – It’s often a challenge to manage your time effectively especially since working patterns do tend to change from home.
FOMO – Whether it’s relating to your promotion or just drinks with your colleagues, there will always be that fear of missing out when working from home.
Tips on how to work from home effectively
If you’re reading this blog, chances are that you are most likely either pretty early in your career and need tips on working from home or just very new to the work from home concept. Regardless of your situation, the tips we have for you are as follows:
Having open and honest conversations with managers – Your managers should be able to rely on you regardless of where you’re working from. Informing your manager what your priorities for the week are, is super important because it tells managers you’re on the same page as them but also shows them how you intend to meet your deadlines.
Being clear about availability and letting others know – A status on Slack or adding your commitments to your shared calendars are simple ways of letting your colleagues know where you are. When you let your colleagues know where you will be in advance and why you can’t attend a meeting it creates a level of trust and reliability. They also have time to work around you that way which is much better than just disappearing on them.
Being responsive – Sometimes you can’t respond to all the emails and calls, especially when you’re in the middle of doing something important. But this ties into the point we made earlier about being clear about availability.
Being organised – Making a checklist in the morning of tasks you need to accomplish and revising them at the end is a great way to organise yourself. It also allows you to manage your time effectively and prioritise what’s the most urgent.
Taking strategic breaks – Without breaks, you’d be working on low energy throughout the day and that could take a toll on your wellbeing and productivity.
Have a routine – We need a structure in order to work efficiently, it plays a key role in time management too. If every morning you wake up at the same time, have breakfast and dedicate about 20 minutes to checking your email and making a rough plan on what you need to get done, your day will be much better.
Give yourself a “home office” – This is a space that is designated for work. Your home isn’t a place you would usually associate with work which is why having an area dedicated to work can make a difference.
Practise mindfulness – Focus on the work you’re given at hand and also understand that this is temporary. Noting down the small things you feel grateful for can truly help. Being kind to yourself is also part of mindfulness.
We hope that this blog has helped you and you are able to take something from it. You can download our infographic below.
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We will see you on the next post,
The Regeneration