Remote Work Thoughts & Tips

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses and employees are moving to remote or virtual work. Many are being asked to merge their home and work life in a new way. For those that have never worked remotely full-time, it can be a big change for them and their families. This note will include both personal and professional suggestions for making the changes.

Working remotely has been a way of life for my family for 30 years. I’ve experienced telecommuting as a worker, a spouse and a parent. My husband has primarily telecommuted for thirty years. Our now adult children grew up in a house where having a parent work from home was the norm. I have been a remote worker for the past eight years as well. We have learned a few things that seem normal to us, but I understand our way of working and lifestyle requires an adjustment for many. I’m offering a few tips for those new to remote work. These tips are not focused on a comparison of tools to use. There are many places to do that and many companies have adopted specific tools already.

Perhaps the biggest mental leap is understanding that where you are working does not matter. The specific work you do remains the same. You still need to maintain a schedule. Working remotely doesn’t mean you’re on the clock more, or less, than your typical day. Your specific working hours, and those of your colleagues, may change slightly as people adjust to a new environment and the demands of bridging work and home life. At the end of the day, and the pay period, your company and your co-workers are expecting you to be as productive as normal. Acknowledge that while you may be able to maintain your usual 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. schedule, your co-workers may have children home from school or daycare. Their needs may differ. It will require understanding and graciousness from all. Trusting your co-workers to do their work is important. Meeting that expectation of your work peers is even more important.

Consider how you will work in your home. You may not have space for a designated home office, but any space with a door can be converted into a temporary office. Why a door? Being able to shut yourself off from anyone else in the home will be helpful during calls. A headset is also important for virtual calls. Many of us also need a quieter place to think. Keep in mind that a designated office space doesn’t mean you have to stay in that space during all of your working hours. Think about how you move around in your regular office. You might work in a conference room and a cubicle throughout a day. Consider the environment in which you best focus. I find it helpful to move to different spaces throughout the day simply for a refreshing change of view.

Keep in touch with your co-workers. Schedule daily calls or check-in times with them. Although you might not usually share your personal cell number with your co-workers, it might be necessary to do so. This will help them get in touch with you virtually instead of walking down a hall to speak with you. Figure out how you will share files if your company doesn’t have a system in place. Be sure though to follow any security protocols your company has in place. During those daily calls, take time to ask about how others are adjusting to the new work environment. Share tips. Share stories. Stay connected.

Let your clients, customers, vendors and external contacts know you will be working remotely. Many of them may also be working remotely. Talk to them about the best way to continue to keep in touch with them and to continue to provide services. You may need to communicate with them more often to assure them that their needs are being met despite the new work environment.

As I noted above, our children were raised in a house where one or both parents worked from home. Recognizing that a parent was working was always part of their lives. Many people in this new work environment will need to teach their children about a parent working from home. It will take some patience and creativity. Begin with an age-appropriate conversation with those in your home about the new work reality. One thing that worked well in our house was the “closed-door” rule. If our children saw that the office door was closed, they learned that meant it was time for quiet, as one of us needed a quieter environment.

Since many children may also be using eLearning for school, make it a family affair. Set up certain hours for school and business work. Promise that if everyone works hard during those hours, you can all enjoy some family time later. With younger children, schedule calls during nap times. If that’s not possible, set them up with some quiet toys or books to keep them occupied during your calls. It will take some practice and trying different things to figure out what will work best in your situation. Appreciate that your co-workers and their families also adjust to a new reality.

When both partners are working at home there is a greater chance for misunderstanding. Many are used to engaging with each other frequently when at home. That changes when one or both are working at home. During working hours it’s important to recognize that your partner might not immediately answer your questions or may seem to be ignoring you. The reality is that your partner is focused on a work related task. Mentally prepare for that and accept it. Often, I’ll ask my husband a question that is unanswered. He will try to start a conversation and get no response from me. It’s never about ignoring the other. The other person is often in the middle of responding to an email or focused on a work related task. At our house, we often joke about the questions that are answered hours later.

Practice self-care. Stand-up and stretch at least every hour. Take a walk outside, even if it’s just up and down the driveway or around your block. If going outside isn’t possible, sit in a sunny spot in your home. Open a window for a few minutes to get some fresh air. Find ways to exercise at home. Take time away from your home office to eat meals. Sleep is critical. Turn off your laptop at the end of the day and relax with your family. Catch up on your favorite streaming program or read a book. Take advantage of the extra time you’ll have by not commuting to an office and start the project you’ve been putting off. Do something for yourself daily.

A few personal thoughts follow. One of the most delightful experiences for me as a remote worker is experiencing a bit of the personal lives of my co-workers. Since I rarely interact with co-workers in person, I love hearing the sounds of their families in the background. I relish the traffic noise in the background or the occasional dog barking. It reminds me that these people are not just co-workers. They are daughters, sons, mothers, fathers, significant others. They have rich lives outside of work just as I do. It’s a reminder of their humanity and that all of us are more alike than different. Keeping that in mind is one of the things that will help each of us as we adjust to a new work environment.