Working from home
Working at home, especially since Covid, has become something that many companies allow and some actively encourage. I first started working at home in 2005, way before it became mainstream. I began working remotely to ensure that I could spend quality time with my family by cutting down my commute and being able to interact with them during the day. They became my cooler buddies and lunch companions.
Even though my family was the reason, I still needed a few ground rules to make my days productive. Unfortunately, with the enforced remote working in 2020 employees and entrepreneurs alike couldn’t be as productive as they might have been. Why? They weren’t able to plan out the change and follow the golden rules for working from home.
Location, Location, Location.
As any real estate agent and they will tell you the same house in London is worth 5 times more than where we are based in Lincolnshire. It’s all about location and it’s the same for you home working location. If you have a spare room, then that becomes the office. Try to avoid wherever possible working at the Dining room table or God forbid, the living room. You are working and need to have the correct environment to be most productive. Little Jonny playing Xbox in the background is not a distraction you need. I was lucky enough that when I started working at home, I had a spare room. My children were very young and so at first, I had the spare bedroom and then when that was taken over, I bought and secured a garden shed. My family were trained that if the door was shut to my room, then I was working, and it was like I was at the office 40 miles away. This allowed me to be the most productive I can be.
Ouch, my back. You don’t realize how uncomfortable your dining room chairs are until you’ve done 8 – 10 hours sitting there. Make sure you invest in a comfortable chair; my company provides the chairs for our remote workers. We also provide an extra monitor if the employee so requests. The home workspace needs to be as close to an office as it can be.
We now turn our attention to the reason we’re doing all of this, our family. After establishing the closed door / open door. I then ensured that all mealtimes were spent with them. We ate breakfast, lunch (with my youngest, as my eldest was at school) and dinner together each day. The only time this changed was when I was on site. Sharing a meal is something which the Mediterranean countries have perfected. This family time and shared experience is one that should be kept strict. No TV dinners, interact and talk to each other. When I first started remote work, I was an employee, so I negotiated that I could attend school functions and became a parent governor.
Working at home has become much more accessible for employees and entrepreneurs alike. When I first started in 2005, I had to get a new telephone line put in for the call routing from the office! You can use your home as an office and increase your productivity, in fact a productive workspace at home is essential for stay-at-home working parents. By choosing the right location, setting boundaries, and using effective tools, you can create an environment that supports your work while allowing you to fulfil your family responsibilities. Striking a balance between the two is achievable with careful planning and consistent efforts.
