10 Rules for a Work From Home Environment

May 21, 2020

Stop before we discuss the 10 rules for a work from home environment. Breathe, Breathe, and Breathe! This is something very important before we wage war with ourselves. The world will keep revolving even if you stop working. The only reason your work is your worship is why you matter to the world.

A minute of silence to every boss who never allowed anyone to work from home, but is now forced to send emails outlining the benefits of working from home
Comedian Rahul Subramanian

If you are frequently wearing pajamas and sitting unshaven until 2 p.m., know you’re not alone. I’ve put together a few ground rules to practices (although I can’t say I always follow them myself). Here are 10 rules for a work from home environment to set before starting.

Rule 1: Assign Your Work Area

Do you remember your office chair and desk? Would it bring out the best in your work? If yes, try to replicate it as much as possible, if no, then try to make your ideal setup. Invest in an ergonomic chair, good lighting, and a clean spacious desk. Set up physical boundaries so you can focus without disturbance (like a room). Keep in mind WFH involves Skype/Zoom/Meet calls, so set up your background. A light wall brings out the best in a video setting.

Rule 2: Organize Your Day and Home

The fact that you don’t need to punch in the office allows you to choose your start and end time. This also means you need to communicate this to your colleagues. Setting the right work-time environment is key to building work-life balance. Your children need you as well as your family. Giving them time would help you negotiate a happy relaxed work environment. My personal choice is to divide work time in shifts. Early Morning, Late Afternoon, and Late Evenings. These times are best considering rest times of family. While if you still have to work in regular hours, then choose the right setting. A room that you are not disturbed, and planning household chores better. Your office canteen doesn’t operate anymore at your place (sigh).

Rule 3: Familiarize Yourself with Online Tools

There are many online tools that help you become more productive. Project management tools like Trello, help set up a to-do list and effective management. If you would be using video calling, check for the best app that works for your team. If you have access to good headphones, it would be ideal for video calls. Install tools you are familiar with and may be used at your office. Check if you can improve your internet settings via WiFi or LAN. Good connectivity will improve online productivity.

Rule 4: Communicate Better

Every office politics has an email – email game. Stop playing that game when working from home. Productivity will be at its best if you pick up your phone and talk. Remember to share all details clearly in every form of communication. Reiterate your assumptions aloud with your colleagues or clients. The best form of communication tools would be Video Calls or Telephonic Calls. Use Emails for leaving detailed instructions and tasks. Every now and then also crack a few jokes about work from home.

Rule 5: Stay on Schedule

Stay focused on your work timings. Your work deliverable should be honest. Once you decide your work timings, do not falter. Remember your schedule as you would work at your office. Don’t overindulge in presentations just because you have started travelling less. Staying on schedule will help you avoid any work-life imbalance. If you are an employer remember to allow your employees to work flexibly. Deliverables are key in any business. In a WFH environment, best productive work will sometimes depend on home settings. As bosses, we also need to respect that about an Employee.

Rule 6: Avoid Distractions

The loving home pet can be a major distraction for many. Keep your phone at an arm’s length to avoid those social media notifications. Keep a glass and bottle of water to avoid getting up often. A few snacks would not make you heavy. Please log out of all social media accounts on your system before starting work. Staying logged in will give you push notifications and disturb your workflow.

Rule 7: Take Regular Break

Keep work time to work and family time to family. Working in shifts of 1 hour makes great sense to bring the best in you. Short breaks could include stretching, coffee breaks, or meditation breaks. Taking your eyes off that computer screen will allow you to relax your eyes. A simple ‘Hi’ to your family will also keep you connected to them even at work.

Rule 8: Stay Available in a Work From Home Environment

When you work remotely, your employer, clients or customers need to trust that you are working on their behalf as they expect you to. To build that trust, you will need to be accessible. Keeping your phone in range and setting right auto reply in case of cutting the call helps. This way there is no misunderstanding when you are not reachable. The trust built once will help you stay trusted. But trust lost will be very difficult to regain.

Rule 9: Leave Home Daily

Create routines daily to go for walks or cycle in your vicinity. Leaving the building once will keep your mind fresh. Think of it like your work commute time and use it to exercise. If you have a park nearby occasionally spend some time there. Take the dog for a walk. Play a few outdoor games with your kids. This routine will help you revitalize your body.

Rule 10: Remember to Maintain Confidentiality

Some organizations have their own VPNs that off-site employees need for accessing certain servers or websites that store information meant only for internal use. It’s important to understand not to share work secrets with family. Keeping yourself zoned will help compartmentalize your work. Working from home can have its benefits also to have a healthy work-life balance.

These rules were written after interacting with a lot of friends who have been doing work from home as freelancers and not everyone may agree to my 10 Rules for a Work From Home Environment but you can share in comments if you have some other.