It's important to have a good office setup if you're working from home regularly. Photo / 123rf
It's important to have a good office setup if you're working from home regularly. Photo / 123rf
Working from home, or never leaving the office depending on how you look at it, has plenty of benefits, but there's a few key things those housebound aren't doing enough of.
More on that later.
First, the benefits: no frustrating commute, being able to dress neatly from the waist up while sporting tracksuit pants and Ugg boots below for those all-important video links with the boss, and spending more time with your previously lonely pets.
But first, you need to ensure your office set up is comfortable and your tech is up to speed if you want to avoid big backaches and headaches.
Getting adequate internet speeds will be a significant issue. Use an internet speed test to see what you're getting. You should be aiming for 20Mbps for downloads and at least 4.5Mbps for uploads.
If your office is in a different room to your Wi-Fi router, buy a Wi-Fi extender and simply plug it into a power socket near your computer to increase the range and amplify the signal.
If that's not enough due to solid walls, interference or distance from your router, you could purchase a power line adaptor, which will turn your power sockets into Ethernet network points, then use a LAN cable to directly connect to your computer.
If your router is in the same room as your office, connect a LAN cable from the back of it to your computer.
If that still doesn't work, call your internet service provider and ask about upping your speed limit. Sometimes it is just an extra $10 a month to double your speed.
Health
Invest in a high-quality desk chair. Do not compromise – get the highest quality chair you can, claim it on tax and protect your posture.
Equally, buy a wrist rest and footrest if you find them comfortable.
Invest in a monitor so you're not hunched over a small laptop screen. If you stick to just a laptop, elevate it so the screen is at eye height.
You'll be saving a lot of money not buying lunches and coffees, but be careful not to overeat with your well-stocked fridge and pantry temptingly nearby.
Remember to drink plenty of water as you'll probably consume less without that office water cooler at hand.
It's tempting to snack all day with easy access to food at home - but you can still make healthy lunches at home. Photo / 123rf
Communicate with your team
Top of the list for LinkedIn Learning senior director Jason Laufer is communicating with your team.
"When working from home it is important to foster professional and personal relationships to break up the work day … asking a colleague how their weekend was, inquiring into how they are handling remote work, sharing something personal about your home work environment," Laufer said.
"Five minutes out of your day can significantly improve productivity and morale.
Take regular breaks
"Whether this means setting a time in your diary every day to get some fresh air, taking a walking meeting, scheduling lunch, or getting up to stretch your legs every 30 minutes, it is crucial for your mental health and efficiency to take regular breaks."
"We saw a spike of over 10,000 per cent between February and March of people learning about remote working," Laufer said.
"Likewise, Australia has seen remote job applications increase by 4.26-fold as Australians seek to work from home during the pandemic."
Other tips
Check whether you can claim expenses such as utilities bills, noting you can only claim for the business part of the expense. If your home is your primary place of business, you can even claim occupancy expenses such as rent or mortgage interest and insurance, but get expert advice to ensure you're claiming the right amount.
Contact your insurance company to see if you can lower your home and car premiums. Being at home most of the time, your risk profile for theft or other calamities is much lower.
And turn your car engine on once in a while. You may not realise it hasn't happened all week!
