Working from home is something many of us have quickly had to acclimatise to, but are you doing it right? Check out our top tips for safely working from home on your laptop.
By law, employers are responsible for the health and safety of all employees, whether they are working in the office or remotely from home.
It is the employers’ responsibility to make sure that the work being asked to do can safely be carried out at home, as well as supplying the right equipment to work safely. Managers also the responsibility to stay in regular contact with employees, making sure they are safe to work and not feeling isolated.
Home workers for their part, have a level of responsibility, such as highlighting any potential health and safety risks, as well as keeping in regular contact with line managers. Should your home working pattern or location change, this should also be reported.
To make sure you have the best setup for home working, there are a few simple tips and tricks you can follow:
1: Create the Right Workspace
Working from home can often mean not sitting at a desk. Kitchen worktops, living room sofa, and even the occasional stay in bed, are all locations we can work from with a laptop. For the best ergonomic practices, it is to best use a desk and chair, so reducing potential musculoskeletal disorders and eyesight damage.
Finding a dedicated workspace will avoid unnecessary trip hazards, such as trailing power cables. A laptop is ideal for home working as it offers everything you need to be productive and stay in touch. If you are working from home for long periods of time, you may wish to consider an external monitor, keyboard and mouse. These will allow you to create a more ergonomic work space, as the monitor will be at eye-level, while the external peripherals offer more space to work.
2: Create Work Routines
Once you have a dedicated workspace, it is important to create a work routine that works for you and the business. While it is easy to stay in bed and answer emails, or work late into the evening to complete a report, home workers need to strike a work/life balance that meets the needs of their well-being. This should include establishing regular start and finish times to the working day. Also, share your diary with co-workers and managers, including any necessary child care, for example.
3: Breaks and Exercise
Along with defining a regular working day, having breaks and getting regular exercise during the day are equally important. Numerous studies have shown that we are the most productive when we focus on one task for short periods. Every 25 minutes you should get up and move away from your workstation. Take deep breaths, stretch and exercise your body out of the work position.
It is important to get fresh air at least once a day. This can either take the form of a walk before or after work, or something more strenuous exercise outside.
4: Minimise Distractions
Working from home is often about discipline and being able to manage your own time effectively. Some distractions are inevitable, usually when normal life gets in the way, but others you can control. Look to get the difficult tasks out of the way early, minimise obvious distractions in your immediate workspace, and then you can better manage time effectively.
5: Stay in contact
When it comes to the manager/employee relationship, trust is vital. The old 9-5 culture is breaking down and certainly doesn’t exist when working from home. Managers should think about what needs to be achieved and measure accordingly in hours, productivity, or both. Managers should also regularly stay in touch with employees, checking on their well-being as well as their productivity.
6: Mental health
In situations such as we are finding ourselves in with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is easy to place additional stresses and worries on ourselves. Remember, these are unprecedented times and it is essential for our own well-being that we are kind to ourselves, as well as others, by acknowledging that we may not be as productive or as consistent as in more normal times.
Be realistic about what you can achieve in any given working day, communicate freely with colleagues and managers, but at the end of the working day, switch off and relax.
7: Plan for the Long-Term
We have no idea how long the current situation will last, and while working from home was seen as a short-term fix, we may find that long-term planning is now needed. Start to think about how you can improve your work environment, make it even safer and more comfortable. This may include looking at how you share information, or communicate, with others, or switching your laptop to a larger or more powerful model.
The dynabook laptop range from Sharp comprises desktop replacements offering large screens and full connectivity, such as the Dynabook Tecra laptop range, through to ultra-portable laptops like the Dynabook Portégé laptop range, focusing on battery life and flexibility of use. Choosing the right one to help you work safely and productively at home is key.
If you would like to know how dynabook laptops from Sharp can help your business make the most of your working from home strategy and enhance employee productivity and well-being, Get in Touch.
