01 Apr 2020
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As we’re all having to deal with the daily reality of enforced lockdown, this week’s broadcast is a departure from our normal publication in the form of a guide about how to handle working from home.
As the government tries to get a grip on the coronavirus pandemic, all non-essential workplaces are now closed meaning that, for millions of people, working from home is our new existence. Social distancing and self-isolation are fundamentally changing the way that many organizations operate.
With children at home, restricted personal contact and working without the structure of the daily office environment, it’s a practical & emotional minefield.
Remote working does not generally affect productivity, but during this highly unusual period, there’s likely to be a dip. How do we make this sudden shift? What can we do to maintain productivity, ease anxiety, and to continue to work effectively with team members and clients?
Get up at your normal time, have a shower & get dressed
Figure out a space for work that’s comfortable and stick to it
Allow yourself flexibility but create a structured routine
Make yourself a plan for the day prioritising tasks
Trust your teams & colleagues
Be disciplined, remove external distractions and work in bursts
Find ways of connecting socially and formally in a virtual capacity so you can keep the work banter alive. Share pictures and stories, maybe a pet show & tell?
Use digital tools such as Zoom & Skype for meetings
Don’t be tied to your desk, take regular breaks & move around
Be mindful of your well-being & separate work & leisure time. Get out in the fresh air for a change of scene and to clear your head.
Use Wifi for conference calls to take the pressure off the mobile phone network
Schedule conference calls at random times such as 10:47 or 15:08 when there’s less demand on networks
Plan activities for your kids that don’t need supervision
Prioritise your schedule: plan your most engaging and reliable activities for the kids to be on their own during the time you need to be most productive
Take mini breaks to give your children the attention they need and expect that you may need to continue working after they’ve gone to bed
Stress less about screen time!
It probably all feels very alien and overwhelming right now, but this enforced period of working from home may produce some long-term advantages. There’ll be a rapid technical transition and there’ll be no turning back. Employers will realise that the global talent pool is vast and that we can work with employees from anywhere in the world. Empathy in a crisis often brings people together and a better, more cohesive organisation could be the result. Enforced isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic could change how we do business forever. Do your best, hang on in there, be supportive and trust that the good times will be even greater when they return.
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This information is for UK Professional Advisers only and should not be given to retail clients.The value of investments and the income from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the amounts originally invested.
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