Working From Home Coronavirus Guide

Working From Home Guide

Working From Home Survival Guide (Coronavirus)

Due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) much of the worlds workforce are working from home or preparing to work from home. Remote working can cause disruption and uncertainty for employers as well as a great deal of stress for their employees. Balancing work and childcare whilst isolating are just some of the challenges home workers face due to the Corona Virus (Covid-19) outbreak.

 

This guide gives general tips on how to work from home with children, staying safe online and balancing your workday. There is no medical advice in this document and local laws should always be followed to ensure we stem the spread of Coronavirus (Covid-19).

Speak to your Manager

The Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has meant home working has caused disruption to both employers and employees. Being upfront with your manager of your challenges during this time allows them to adjust expectations, possibly provide help, or understand that your usual working hours may suffer. Identifying and raising these issues upfront ensures all parties can work together with understanding of deadline risks.

Work Meetings whilst Coronavirus self-isolating

With today’s technology the Corona Virus doesn’t have to stop meetings as these can be performed online. If you can, look to schedule a work meeting while a baby or toddler is due a nap, ask a partner if available to look after them in another room. Obviously this is all best case scenario and life never works out like this and so some options for noisy back ground children are:

  • Tell everyone upfront the issue
  • Use your mute option when not talking
  • Use mobile phone headphones with speaker or other headset device with speaker. Most of these devices have background noise cancelation
  • If you VOIP Software look to turn on background noise filtering

Taking a break while working from home

When working from home it is easy to loose track of time or feel pressured that people may wonder if you are working. This can lead to bad work behaviours such as early starts, no breaks and late finishes. Ensure you take a break from your screen, even if I is to make a drink, listen to news or get some fresh air.  

Child Care whilst isolating or working From home

The fact is everyone’s position and experiences are different as this could be single parents, baby’s toddlers an teens in the household along with living in flats or a house with a garden.  Each scenario brings its own challenges to overcome.  Below are some colleagues and clients tips:

  • Ensure the children have a routine in line with their school hours where they study
  • Use online resources to aid schooling or Ask the school for work
  • If you have a garden or pots, plant some vegetables or flowers as a side project to keep an eye on
  • Ensure Teenagers are fully aware of their part in stopping the spread and look to stop them mass gathering
  • Look for arts and craft ideas to keep children busy
  • If you have a garden and are aloud out in safe distance, have a picnic
  • Home cinema with sweets and film
  • For young children build a castle or house with blankets and chairs
  • Bring out paper and pens for drawing and games
  • Have a baking day with children helping to prepare food
  • Have the children write or record a journal of their days
  • Fancy Dress
  • Use face paint to paint faces
  • Bring out board Games and playing cards
  • Show old Photos or bring out phot albums of when you were young

 

When it comes to Juggling work with children as above speak to your manager as it may be an option to take the days off and work in the evenings. If you partner is also working then look at reviewing calendars to ensure no meetings overlap and bounce the child care hour by hour to suit.

Getting out with the Corona restrictions

Working from home can often lead to a cycle of, waking, working, eating, sleeping. This in turn can lead to hermit behaviour where you are not leaving your home, this is not healthy and where possible take a walk or sit outside the property taking in some fresh air, read a book or talk. 

ENSURE YOU ARE OBEYING THE LOCAL LAWS AND ADVICE FOR BEING OUT IN PUBLIC!

Talking to people and being sociable whilst in homework isolation

Isolation can have a negative impact on the mind and where countries have imposed laws of household this can become a problem. In the battle for shutting down the spread of the Coronavirus you or a colleague or family member may feel isolated which could lead to mental health issues. Use video calls or simply the phone. Talk work, tell a story, tell a joke, help each other through this.

Cyber Criminal attempts

Never a group to miss an opportunity the cyber criminals will be looking to cash in. Further reading can be found on Cyber Crime during the Corona Pandemic  And also Phishing which will be a main source of these cyber criminals.

Feeling ill or Depressed working from home

If you or a colleague feels ill when working from home contact your doctor or emergency services appropriate. Being isolated especially for this living alone can lead to mental health issues and so please contact your mental health help line.

A Message From Datplan:

Please always keep UpToDate with your countries laws, local laws and official medical advice as we battle the Coronavirus.  By continued working and support of each other we can look to help save jobs, keep companies and the economy alive.   This quick guide on home working was complied from our staff and client feedback as a way of trying to help workers during the home working isolation of the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Wishing you, your friends and family all the best in these times

Datplan