Working from home – HR’s Top Tips

Here at HPC we offer support for all companies. We can support your business with advice regarding the new measures which the government have put in place, including working from home. This will confirm that you have knowledge on the correct measures to take and ensure that your employee’s safety is put first.

Below is some top tips to help you power through when working from home:

• Start your day right. Get up and get showered and ready for the day as if you were going into the office. This will prevent fatigue and ensure that you are in a productive work mode.

• Set up a specific workspace where you are able to focus. Ideally a space which has everything to hand which you may need to breeze through the day.

• When setting up your work space be sure to do this in a room with plenty of natural light. This will help prevent fatigue, and creates a better atmosphere.

• Make sure your internet is reliable, and make sure you know who to contact if your IT is playing up! Internet rooters are a big help.

• Be sure to take breaks throughout the day as if you were in the office. Make sure you are making contact with people to talk about non work things, this will keep your mood up.

• Make the most of working from home. Do the exercise before work, spend more time with the children, do some yoga… make time for the things you love!

• Be sure to be more aware of how you are wording your emails. People may be struggling working from home and they may feel isolated. It can be harder to judge the tone of an email as there is no body language. Remember, it’s nice to be nice.

• Have a team huddle, use this time to catch up with members of your team in regards to work as well as a way to generally check up on each other, other people may be struggling!

• When doing a video call use head phones if possible. This will give you a better sound quality and help you hear others better.

• Make sure you mute your mic when you aren’t talking on video calls, this will prevent others from hearing annoying ruffling sounds.

• If you live in a busy area, it may be best to keep your window shut whilst on a call so that there is no background noise when you are speaking to others.

• Be sure to get up and stretch your legs as if you were in the office, this will prevent fatigue and keep your mood up.

• Enjoy working from home, put your favourite album on or radio station, you may enjoy this better than sitting in silence.

• Try not to work late just because you are working from home. Make sure you switch your laptop off at a reasonable time and put it away. If you put your laptop away this will separate the emotions of feeling as though working from home is interfering in your home life.

Managers– Make sure you are not micromanaging your employees. Your employees may feel as though you don’t trust them working from home, this then results in more stress from both ends.

Managers– Ensure that your team know that you are still there if they need you.

Managers– Do one to ones with employees. This can help with ensuring that their work load is okay and that they are managing well working from home.

Managers– Communicate with staff as much as possible, ensure them that when returning there is a risk assessment in place. This will help with any anxious returning employees.

Managers– When it is safe to do so and you are bringing employees back to the office, think about doing a phased return. This can help ease employees back into work and help with any arising anxieties which people may have.

Employers are still responsible for the safety of their employees even when home working. If your company needs more advice on how to take measures and what safety precautions to put in place for the return to work please seek advice from our HR Professionals.