Effective remote working – what you need to know

 

Does remote working suit you as an employee?

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You might like the idea of working remotely, but that doesn’t mean it will suit your working style. Look at it this way:

• Can you easily set boundaries and focus on your work?
• Are you well-disciplined and self-motivated, or do you need to be continually managed?
• Do you have good communication skills at a distance, as well as in-person?
• Do you like to work in a busy environment where you can interact with your colleagues face-to-face?
• Are you prone to the fear of missing out (FOMO)?

If you worked remotely during the pandemic, how well did you cope with that situation? Did you easily fit into the work-from-home routine and maintain your levels of productivity? Alternatively, did you feel isolated, lose confidence in your communication skills, and find it difficult to concentrate?

This isn’t simply a personality or work style issue; your age may affect how you feel about working from home. Research conducted by Hubble concluded that most younger employees preferred office life to working from home, wanted to interact with colleagues face-to-face, and were less likely to have a dedicated space at home to work from. By contrast, older workers were happier to work remotely.

 

Do you have the space to work from home?

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Whether you’ll work remotely for the entire week or only part of it, you must have a space to work from. This might be a separate room, an area of a multi-functional room, or a mobile set-up that can easily be moved. Whichever of these you choose, it must allow you to concentrate on your work without distractions.

Your workspace must:

• be somewhere that you’re comfortable to spend time in
• be suitably equipped (for instance, access to power points for a computer and scanner)
• meet your employer’s health and safety requirements

 

Do you have the IT equipment and know-how to work remotely?

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Most work from home roles will require, as a minimum, a means to communicate with your manager and colleagues. This might be by phone and/or email. Generally, however, remote workers will be expected to have access to the internet, whether via a computer or a mobile device. This is especially important if you need to access shared files.

Communication at a distance may mean phone calls or emails, but meetings will often be hosted through video-conferencing software and apps like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, Skype, or Google Meet.

Before you apply for a remote role, search the job description for what equipment you’ll need, any related skills (such as hosting video meetings), and what software and apps you will use. Where there are gaps, for instance, using a software package that you’re unfamiliar with, consider how you can address those gaps.

 

Do you understand the health and safety factors of working from home?

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When you work from home, your employer has the same health and safety responsibilities for your wellbeing as they do for employees who work on-site. This means that they are expected to assess your home-working conditions for risks and hazards to ensure your safety.

As a remote worker, however, you also carry responsibilities. You must make sure that wherever you work at home is a safe environment for you and for anyone it may affect. You must also work in co-operation with your employer’s health and safety arrangements and rules.

The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) provide more information on how you can work towards health and safety as a remote worker.

 

What must your employer provide if you work from home?

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In the UK, employers are not legally obliged to provide equipment for remote workers. However, an employer may choose to do so, for instance, providing a laptop that is used exclusively for work purposes. Alternatively, an employer may be willing to pay for an item purchased by you or provide a monthly expense allowance.

Make sure that you find out:

• what equipment is needed to fulfil the role
• what software and apps are needed
• what accessories and stationery are needed
• what the employer will provide
• what the employer will pay for

If you don’t have the equipment needed for the job and the employer will not provide or fund the purchase of this equipment, can you afford to pay for it yourself?

 

Final Thoughts

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During the recent lockdowns, many employees found themselves working from home. For some, this was an ideal solution and one which they decided to maintain. For other people, however, it was a stressful situation that they couldn’t wait to abandon in a return to the office. Remote working isn’t the answer for everyone, and you should always investigate the situation thoroughly before applying for a work from home role.