The Ultimate Guide to Working From Home + Remote Work Tips

Workers whose employment terminates on or before 31 March 2024 are able to claim any pay in lieu of any remaining entitlement they were unable to use due to the effects of coronavirus. From 1 January 2024, workers can no longer accrue COVID carryover leave. Workers will still be able to use the leave they accrued prior to 1 January 2024 before or on 31 March 2024.

In fact, the reality is that most work from home statistics show that productivity increases when employees are given flexible options. Tech.co’s own research found that 47% of businesses notice increased productivity levels amongst employees who work remotely. Even better, another study found that businesses experienced a 22% performance boost when launching a hybrid work model.

Business Insights

You’re working anywhere that isn’t the office – at home, the park, your roof terrace. That means you could be set up in a coffee shop or a co-working space. You might just be in a different office location of your company but still how to work from home successfully remotely located to your core team. Essentially, remote working means you aren’t face to face with your team. It’s perfectly possible to be a fully collaborative team without needing to be in each other’s physical presence.

From laptops to software and internet speed, determine the technology tools will you need, including apps such as Zoom, Slack, or Microsoft Teams. Check isitdownrightnow.com, which monitors key websites and services to see if they’re working. If you are an ambivert or extrovert then you need to be prepared to ensure you get enough social time.

Stay Connected with Your Team

Indeed, flexibility is shaped by employers’ commitment to offer and enable access to flexible working arrangements. It’s also based on their willingness to learn from people’s experiences (like during the COVID pandemic) to develop more flexible ways of working that advantage both the organisation and its employees. When working from home, the last thing you want to do is constantly troubleshoot technical problems because of unreliable hardware and software. Unless you’re lucky and are an employee of a company that’s ready to equip its remote workers with a modern laptop and smartphone, you’ll most likely have to purchase technology with your own money. Employees who have never worked from home before usually look forward to not having to set an alarm clock in order to wake up at a specific time each day. When they finally get the opportunity to work from home online, they quickly discover that being productive without keeping regular work hours is next to impossible.

• Many people do not realize how much working from home will impact their social life, feelings of connectivity, and belonging.
• This is the time of day that your body releases the most brain power hormones to help you to solve problems, generate ideas and plow through meticulous work.
• She said the older of her two staff librarians is in her 60s, lives in a Chicago suburb and uses the time saved from the 45-minute commute to get in a little more gardening and other personal projects.

For others, it is the ability to maintain a work-life balance and share in life’s pleasures, making memories with friends and family. Access to flexible work arrangements might be regulated through your employer, a collective agreement between your union and workplace, or national law. Talk to an HR representative, your line manager or union rep about options available to you. Tell them about your particular circumstances, for example if you have an invisible disability or illness, or if you have caring responsibilities.

Offers, competitions and paid opportunities

If you’re already working from home or you manage to get a remote position through one of the ways listed above, you might have “company” at home. Check out these firms to see whether you meet the requirements to start working remotely for them. If your work can be done remotely, but your current boss or organization doesn’t allow you to work from home, you might need to get a new job. Remote workers who combine work with travel are called digital nomads, and they can be found working today all over the world. Work from anywhere workers may tune into work from their kitchen table, cafes, coworking spaces, local libraries, or Airbnbs across the world.

• Unfortunately, it’s hard to find things to help you reach that level of busyness when you’re at home — your motivation can just swing so easily.
• The role of a project manager depends on the organization and its industry.
• Make sure you have solid Wi-Fi so you don’t risk losing your work or cutting out of meetings.

For example, if questions or issues can be addressed in an email or chat message, there’s no need to set up a meeting. Thriving in these new circumstances can be challenging, so we’re covering 30 work from home tips for boosting productivity.

If you can, separate your work area from your personal spaces and use it only for work and not for other activities. You want to create a new start time accounting for your wake-up time, old tasks you no longer have to do, and new tasks you now have time to do. The best way to combat the downsides and increase the upsides is to create an official start time to your work day at home. With no manager hovering over your shoulder asking for updates, you may find it easy to get distracted or spend too long on a particular task or project.

Not only will you want to look professional on video meetings, but getting dressed in the morning puts your brain in “work” mode. Clarifying expectations starts by having frequent and transparent conversations with your boss and coworkers, making sure you know what they expect you to accomplish and when. Continue to manage expectations as you proceed with projects and tasks, providing updates and asking for clarification as needed. When you’ve met your deadline, ask for feedback to make sure you did what you needed to do.