Following the government announcement yesterday 'People should work from home where they can' here at Destination we have implemented our work from home action plan, that we have actually had in place and ready to roll out since the outbreak began in the UK.
The COVID-19 outbreak will undoubtedly change billions of lives worldwide with many businesses both large and small being forced to close their doors.
As a business, we’re fortunate that we have the flexibility of being able to work remotely. As you would expect there are some real benefits to working remotely, but there are also some significant challenges to overcome.
As someone that has worked remotely for a large proportion of my career here are some quick tips to help you on your way!
Have a dedicated workspace in your home if you can
If you’re fortunate to have an office already at home, this should be an easy fix. If not, you should look to convert a spare room or space into an effective workspace. Having a specific place to work is useful, even if it's just a corner of a bedroom with a desk. Try to avoid areas where there are distractions like the dog or even worse the fridge!
Get dressed
For certain people working from home means the prospect of staying in their PJs all day, don’t fall into this trap! Get up and prepare for a day at work as you normally would. Dress appropriately especially if you have a video call booked!
Deal with distractions well
Let’s be realistic... inevitably you will get distracted, and it's obviously even worse if you have family around because of the coronavirus. Also, avoid going down those YouTube or TikTok Tunnels! Feel free to have the occasional surf of appropriate websites for five minutes, but no binge-watching Netflix!
Take breaks ideally out of your house
I have learnt over the years that it is important to get out of your workspace at certain times during the day. The COVID-19 outbreak makes this more challenging, but even a few breaks each day to take a walk around the back garden or a few lunges in the hallway can make a huge difference to your output and reduce that inevitable back pain from sitting at a desk for hours on end…
Don't lose touch with your work friends
The social element of an office is so important, so don’t let working remotely take that away. If you can't get together in person, then take advantage of those fantastic communication tools out there like OurPeople and Zoom Video Communications. We will be having regular Zoom calls and using OurPeople instant messaging to keep everyone in the loop.
Make working comfortable
Do what you can to make your temporary office at home as comfortable and functional as possible. Try not to sit in a bad chair and also get your laptop at a good height, your neck and back will thank you for that! I sometimes use an exercise ball to sit on at my desk at home this keeps you on your toes with a little bit of constant adjustment, its also great for your core strength!
Set goals -- and beat them
Set goals every day that will inspire you to get your jobs done. Keep a record of what you do and then you will be able to track your output!
Deal with being disconnected
Try to communicate face to face as much as possible. I have made a conscious effort to use video calls more and more. Look at how you can implement this, people will instantly feel more connected. I feel I get some much more out of a video call that a traditional chat!
Keep everyone in the loop
Remote workers inevitably feel like they're out of the loop. The good thing at this point is that everybody's in the same boat, so you don't have to worry about this one!
Stay safe and away from the fridge! Matt