Working From Home for newbies

<TL;DR>Check your IT equipment, talk to the IT team, get dressed</TL;DR>

Coronavirus is going to require at least a temporary change to the way we think about work. Many people are going to be thinking about working from home for the first time. Of course some jobs can't be done from home - it's hard to drive a bus in your house - but many management, creative and information based roles can. Here's some tips in two categories: for the employee, what you're going to need to have in place; for the employer, how to change your thinking to make it work.

Employee - What you need

Connectivity

The first you need is connectivity. That is so obvious that you may have overlooked it. To work from home effectively you need at least 2mbps, which is the bottom of most broadband these days. You probably do, but it's worth checking now. I use Broadband Speed Checker, a UK based service, but there's lots of them. In fact, if you type Broadband Speed Checker into Google they (Google) will do it for you with one click.

I just tested and got 72mbps download and 18mbps upload. That's not relevant - I'm just showing off. If you can't or don't want to test, a good guide is whether you can run Netflix smoothly on a smart TV. If you can, you have at least 2mpbs.

Links back to the office

Different companies do this in different ways. Some by VPN (Virtual Private Network) that creates a secure link to the office over the internet. Others by using services such as Microsoft Office 365 and Google's G Suite to make the files you need securely available wherever you are. Check with your IT people which it is in your case. If it's a VPN and you haven't used it before you may need to install some software to make it work.

A Computer

OK, I know. But not everyone has a computer at home, and many of the computers that people do have are not really up to the job. I would recommend a Windows 10 PC less than three years old, or a Mac less than five years old.

Assuming a PC, go for something with at least 256Gb of storage, 8Gb RAM and at least an i5 processor. This would do the job, although it's not the prettiest laptop in the world. In general, get the best you can afford.

Attending Meetings

You're about to become a master of the video conference and conference call. For that you need a webcam. DO NOT rely on the one built into your laptop. Firstly, it's probably not great, but secondly and far more importantly, it's very limited in terms of positioning. Do you want your colleagues staring up your nose or down your top? Probably not. Get an external webcam with a clip that you can position how you want.

Sound is key. The webcam I linked to has a pretty good internal microphone, but a good headset will help a lot - it cuts out background noise and eliminates feedback. Go for something subtle - you don't want to look like a teenage gamer (even if you are one).

Printing

It's 2020. Don't print things. Moving and working with bits is always better than moving and working with stuff, at least in terms of environmental impact.

Behaviour - Employee

Get Dressed

The key word in "Working from Home" is working. You are at work. Put your clothes on. I know this seems facile, but it's so tempting to stay in your pyjamas. Resist the urge. Adjusting your clothing adjusts your attitude. You don't have to put a suit on, but do put at least jeans and a T shirt on, just to say to yourself "I've changed mode - I'm up and working".

Use the Webcam

Not everyone loves being on camera. In fact, most people hate it. But there is evidence that using the webcam rather than relying on just voice makes a difference. As well as enabling more efficient meetings, a product of being able to see when someone is waiting to speak, it builds and maintains the communal aspect of work. You are a team, and you need to see each other.

You may not want people seeing your home - that's OK, most platforms (and certainly Microsoft Teams, the most popular) allow you to blur your background or even replace it with a custom picture.

Note - this is not permission for employers to demand permanent webcam meetings to supervise staff.

Take Breaks and Go Outside

One joy of working from home is you don't have to commute. That can, however, mean you start work at 7am and finish at 6pm without ever stopping or going outside.

Start work at your normal time, or a bit before if you're feeling motivated. Use the time you normally spend commuting to go outside. Sunshine - even low level sunlight on a cloudy day - is a good thing, I promise. Take regular breaks, and make sure you stay properly hydrated. It's tempting to sit at the desk working away and forget, and without the usual round of "anyone want a tea?" every couple of hours there's nothing to remind you. Set an alarm, stay healthy.

Take a lunch break as well, and if possible try to go outside for a bit. Self-isolating does not mean locking yourself away like a monk (unless you are actually ill, in which case you shouldn't be working at all). Going outside, moving your body and getting another top up of light will re-energise you and make you more productive in the afternoon. You don't get more done by working through, you get at best the same amount done, slower and to a lower standard.

Behaviour - Employers

TRUST YOUR EMPLOYEES!

That's it. People want to work, they want to do the job well, they don't need you standing behind them (or supervising on a webcam) for that. In fact, it has the opposite effect and demotivates good people. Let go of the old idea that if people aren't in the office they aren't working. (Aside: I always thought that any manager who said that is essentially admitting what they do...).

Make yourself available on as many channels as possible - email, phone, chat, video - and trust that they will come to you when they need support. Check in from time to time, but do it in the form of "How's things going? Anything you need?", not "Why haven't I heard from you? What are you doing?".

And of course, you're an employee as well, so everything above applies to you. Put some trousers on, use the webcam, keep in touch.