Are you working from home at the moment? As we follow guidance to reduce the spread of coronavirus, many of us are finding ourselves working from home for potentially the first time. This shift in routine can be a difficult transition, even for people who may have already spent a portion of their time working from home each week.
If you are a manager of a team, or a professional whose working hours are continuing as normal, only this time from your home office, this guide is for you. Follow these useful tips to ensure the best health and safety measures are taken while working remotely.
Working from home best practice for professionals
1. Set and follow a work schedule
Whether you’re new to working from home, or have dabbled in the past, now is the time to set a work schedule. Working from home can change your entire routine, so knowing when to start work, and when to finish, provides better clarity and focus during your working hours.
You may also wish to propose your ideal working hours to your manager, especially if these differ to your usual working hours in the office. Things such as childcare or health commitments change when working from home, and these are good reasons to communicate and request more flexible working hours.
2. Eat and drink at regular intervals
One easy way to keep yourself focused and in a working mindset is to eat and drink just like you would do at work. This means making yourself tea, coffee, and glasses of water throughout your day, as well as taking lunch at a semi-consistent time each day. Staying hydrated and well-fed can enable you to perform at your best, so consider consuming mood-boosting foods and drinks to stay healthy and happy.
3. Create a dedicated work space
You may not be aware of this, but your typical working environment has been strictly analysed to ensure your health and safety are taken care of. This is a little different when working from home, so it’s important to choose a dedicated area to work from, and set this up so it supports your body and mind each day.
Once you’ve set up the space you’ll be working from each day, follow the NHS’ guidelines on how to sit at your desk correctly, and ensure your lighting is suitable for your screen/work to avoid eye strain.
4. Use technology to stay connected
One of the most common issues around remote working is the lack of communication. When in the office or workplace, we often take for granted how easy it is to speak to a co-worker or knock on our manager’s door.
That means, when working from home, communication is key. And you may have to put in more effort to communicate - scheduling phone calls, drafting emails, and setting up video conferencing can all be more cumbersome than a simple conversation. But it’s worth it in order to create an illusion of proximity.
At the same time, relying on technology can also become an issue, so check out this guide on how to manage your technology habit in a healthy, productive way.
Working from home best practice for managers
1. Guarantee payment of your staff
When it comes to managing a remote team, it’s extremely important to guarantee everybody’s job security and benefits from the get-go. This is especially true during this time where all non-essential work is to be done from home. Whether you’re contracting a new remote worker, or have just changed to this style of working, you have a responsibility to draw up a contract that highlights their job description, key activities, and remuneration.
2. Set up a remote working plan
If you’re managing more than one person while working remotely, drawing up a remote working plan can be incredibly beneficial. You have a duty of care that applies to your team, even when you’re not physically together, and this plan can support them with any issues or concerns while being drawn up, rather than reactively further down the line.
Elements to include in your remote working plan:
Job roles and duties
Work schedule and hours for each team member
Preferred forms of communication
Expectations across all work carried out during remote working
Stance on any costs of working from home (such as software, hardware, and printing) and how this will be reimbursed.
For further remote working tips, read our guide to reducing stress while at home.
3. Ensure the health and safety of working conditions
Another key element to include in your remote working plan is the health and safety measures everyone must follow. A diligent approach is to consider the physical wellbeing of staff (everything from an ergonomic work environment, through to the process to report any injuries incurred during work hours) and mental wellbeing of staff, as they change their routine and adapt to this new way of working.
If you require support with managing the mental wellbeing of your team, contact us for remote training consultancy and services, tailored to your working conditions and team.
4. Ensure data security across your team
Another important step to take when managing a remote team is to ensure proper security measures are in place before work starts. Remote working can give rise to information security breaches, so connecting a member of your IT team with each remote worker can ensure their systems are up-to-date, with the right software, and protected user profiles.
5. Be open to flexible working hours
According to the CIPD, 87% of the UK workforce would like to work more flexibly. With this new way of working comes an opportunity to also implement flexible working hours. This may also suit some of your staff better, especially as their childcare and other activities may change.
One way to implement flexible working hours is to use time-tracking software such as Harvest or TrafficLIVE. Find out more in our guide to flexible working.
6. Manage team morale from afar
Good managers who look after the wellbeing and morale of their teams may find remote working a new challenge, especially when checking in with team members is more structured and less free-flowing. A few ways to keep an eye on the overall morale of your team include:
Keeping an eye on the times that your staff are working. Emails sent past midnight or in the early hours of the morning could indicate too much work, or poor time management - both of which require support.
Try checking-in with each team member individually, and on an informal or conversational level, to gauge how they are feeling.
Schedule in team meetings and one-to-ones via video conferencing, where possible. This helps to create a sense of community, as well as opportunities for your staff to raise any issues or provide feedback.
7. Create opportunities for collaboration and connection
It’s also worth creating additional opportunities to connect your entire team together, especially if this is something they are used to when at work. Sadly over 60% of Brits feel isolated at work, so all-team meetings or catch-ups can provide a welcome moment of connection and belonging.
Online platforms such as Slack also offer great ways to keep people connected, as well as enabling professionals to keep track of project work in one space.
8. Consider motivational incentives
Finally, spend some time planning how to motivate your staff. A new routine can be difficult to adjust to, and even at the best of times, motivation is an elusive, sometimes unpredictable aspect of our work and life.
Calmer’s Founder, Tania Diggory, often sends remote workers a surprise piece of post, such as a Calmer-branded mug, or a box of treats, after times of intense work or the completion of a project. It’s these little touches that keep the team spirit alive!