With many countries around the world still having problems with the COVID-19, employees are working from home more often. The option of hiring employees globally through employee leasing or PEO services have long offered work from home as an option for international employees. Read below for our top tips for employees working from home, whether your employees are hired through a PEO service or in a new-to-them work from home situation.
Productivity in the wake of a global crisis is crucial for many companies that still have the opportunity to operate. Businesses are now being forced to adapt while maintaining the company’s goals and vision. Teams and organizations who have exclusively worked at an office are now working from home or working remotely. Our Professional Employment Organization (PEO)/Employer of Record (EOR) clients’ employees often work from home or work remotely, so we have a few tips to offer to keep business as usual. Keep reading to learn how to be a star team member from the comfort of your own home.
1. Maintain a Consistent Routine
This should come as no surprise; however, many people have never worked from home until now. This sudden change in routine after years of conditioning can leave people feeling disorientated, confused, and anxious. Working from home can blur the line that separates work and personal life. The stress that you normally leave at work is now with you all day long.
In order to combat this, find a way to minimize disruptions in your normal daily routine that you would if you were working away from home. This may include exercising before or after work, drinking your morning coffee, meditating, or using noise-blocking headphones. Creating a consistent daily routine will help keep you level-headed and maintain the work-life balance you need even if you are at home.
2. Create a Productive Work Environment
In theory, working from your bed sounds like a dream. If you are able to stay productive while under your mountain of blankets, more power to you. However, chances are you probably will not get a lot done. Separate your workspace from areas you relax or sleep in and be sure to get out of bed when you have to work. This may mean working in the next room or even setting up a small corner of your bedroom as a ‘work-only’ space.
Set up your workspace in a place that is well lit up. Face a window or shine a lamp where you are working. The lack of ergonomic chairs, desks, and computer set up can make your body ache and fatigued. Use chairs and tabletops in your home that help you sit upright and support your body well. Perhaps you are easily distracted at home. Limit potential distractions by turning off your TV, working away from your family or housemates if possible, and playing some white noise or relaxing ambient music to keep you focused. Noise canceling headphones are also great in this situation.
3. Communicate with Your Coworkers
Working from home should not prevent you from being on the same page with the rest of your team. Over communicating is better than under communicating. Even if you are unable to make a work-related decision or you are unclear about something, communicating this to your team is much more productive than falling silent. In order to stay in touch, schedule daily or weekly calls or video meetings.
During this time of uncertainty, we should also remember we are all human. Working from home is a huge adjustment for a lot of people and not everyone will cope the same way. Don’t forget to show empathy towards your coworkers and take the time to check in on each other outside of work-related topics. This adjustment may also affect productivity, so be flexible about bandwidth, especially in times of crisis.
4. To-Do Lists
Regardless if you are working from home or in an office, the number of tasks that need to be completed can make anyone feel overwhelmed. Instead of wasting time trying to remember what you need to do, start your day off by writing out a to-do list for all of your tasks and goals. Then, prioritize each task from most important to least important, and cross off each task as you complete them. Focusing on the most important tasks first and physically crossing off each task will help you organize your thoughts.
Check your emails at the beginning and the end of your workday. Emails can be a time suck, so don’t have it open all day. Also, be sure to include your breaks and lunches in your to-do list. It is very easy to get caught up in your work and forget to do basic tasks that your body needs. Take five minutes out of each hour to walk around, stretch, turn off notifications, and get away from your computer.
Crisis or no crisis, a work from the home strategy is an important skill to have in your back pocket. NNRoad is here for you during these difficult times. Global expansion does not have to be put on pause and you can still hire employees globally. Our list of countries we serve around the world is growing and our services have continued to function as normal throughout this crisis. We are in regular contact with our local partners to avoid any disruption of service and minimize the impact on you.
We can assist with employee leasing globally, whether your employees work at home or in an office. Get in touch with us to discuss employment solutions, company set up, payroll, or accounting services.