Top Tips for Working from Home (Henderson Loggie)

Structure your day

Try and do some of the things you would normally do to prepare for coming into the office: set your alarm, make a cuppa and get dressed. It may seem simple but just a few tasks to start your day can prepare you psychologically to start work.

Routine

We understand that you may have to split your working day into chunks to look after children or others. To help you do this try and split your tasks up as part of a daily routine. A good idea is to take 5-10 minutes each morning to map out your working day, then 5-10 minutes at the end of the day to note what you have achieved. Try as much as possible to focus on the positive aspects of your day, work life and personal life, which will help to keep you in a positive mindset.

Breaks

Build in regular breaks to your day, including a proper break for lunch. Whether that is just to have a stretch, make a coffee or get some fresh air in the garden. We want you to stay as healthy as possible at home, so try to keep your body agile and your mind fresh.

Work area / setup

Some people may have a desk set up at home, others may not. Whatever your setup, try and make your workspace area as comfortable as possible. If you can, set up your workspace near a window so you can benefit from some natural light. If this isn’t possible ensure you keep your room as well lit as possible, so you don’t strain your eyes. Ensure you have completed a Workstation Risk Assessment and returned this to HR. HR or the Administration Manager will contact you to discuss any flagged concerns.

Health & Safety Executive Guidance

The Health and Safety Executive have some simple steps to take to reduce the risks from display screen work: • break up long spells of display screen work with rest breaks (at least 5 minutes every hour) or changes in activity • avoiding awkward, static postures by regularly changing position • get up and move around when you can or do some stretching exercises • avoiding eye fatigue by changing focus or blinking from time to time

Stay connected

Microsoft Teams is a great way to keep in touch with your colleagues and team. You can use the chat, video and call function at any time throughout the day. It can also be used to discuss work, upload and share documents and work on team projects. You can access the Microsoft Teams guide via the Iris HR portal or Workplace. Your clients or contacts may wish to use Zoom to connect with you, if so, we have also provided a Zoom user guide via the Iris HR portal or Workplace. In order for everyone to get the most from video call meetings, remember to save and close down your work on your laptop to avoid you jumping between screens or being distracted by emails whilst you are on a call.

Office phones

Our 3X phone system will work through your laptop for you to dial your colleagues and to use for external calls. Please access the 3X phone user guide via the Iris HR portal or Workplace.

Finishing Time

It is often thought that working from home establishes a better work-life balance but in your own home environment you can get so caught up in work that you lose track of time. In lieu of colleagues tidying up and finishing for the day reminding you to do the same, it’s important to have a finish time in mind so you can start the process of finishing your working day. Think of it as trying to have two clear bookends to your day. Please also ensure that you complete your timesheet within CCH at the end of each day. This will help to keep an accurate record of the work you have carried out.

Workplace

Workplace remains the main channel for internal communication. However, we want you to continue to use Workplace to share your news and updates on your team. We will be running some staff activities on Workplace to help with staff morale, so watch out for these. If you have any ideas on remote working staff activities, please get in touch with Fiona and Roz in the HR team.

Mental health

Working from home has its advantages, but with multiple competing priorities from home life, significant disruption throughout your working day can take its toll on you. Be mindful of changes in your mood and look out for changes in your colleagues too. In addition, while you are at home, it can be easy to check in on social media at multiple times throughout the day and have the television on in the background, but try to limit distractions. You can also view our ‘Looking after your mental health whilst working from home’ guide, which you will find on Iris HR portal, or Workplace. If you have any concerns, please speak with your line manager or speak with a member of the HR team. You also have access to the Employee Assistance Programme which can be found via PerkBox. The EAP scheme offers financial, legal and health advice both in terms of online content but also a confidential helpline too.

Ask for help

If you haven’t worked from home before, it can take time to adjust and as a firm, we may experience teething problems with technology and managing workflow. So, please ask for help when you need it, speak with your line manager, keep in contact with your colleagues and look out for one another. Also, if you have any suggestions as to how we can make things better, again speak with your line manager or get in touch with a member of the Core Planning Team; David Smith, Fiona Doctor and Stephen Bain.

Written by: Henderson Loggie

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