May 17 Work From Home Day

Not to be confused with ‘remote work’ where an employee is working from home all the time, nor ‘Freelancing’ where the individual is an independent contractor running their own business from home.

Work From Home Day celebrates those days where office workers get the opportunity to avoid the commute and work from home for a day.

The idea of the day is also to demonstrate that giving people the freedom to work from home from time-to-time can benefit both employer and employee. In short it is saving office costs, helps ease transport congestion and encourages people to manage their workloads more effectively.

*History of Work From Home Day*

Taking your work home with you is something that’s been going on as long as there have been people engaged in any form of trade or commerce.

We’ve always heard tales of the boss who comes home and spends time pouring over the books or takes their work on vacation with them, or who expects their employees to do the same.

The introduction of the internet has done nothing to slow these events from happening, but they have started making them more common and less ‘extra time spent working’ and more ‘getting to avoid your commute’.

There’s a lot of great opportunities for employee and employer alike in having Work From Home Days, including flexibility for employees who have loved ones they care for who fall sick, have appointments in the middle of the day, or who have reasons of their own for needing a day away from the office without costing themselves a day’s wages.

Work From Home Day’s can be given as a reward for great performance, as an alternative to a sick day, or just as part of standard practice if the employee’s job doesn’t require them to be in the office all the time.

*How to Celebrate Work From Home Day*

How one celebrates Work From Home Day has a lot to do with the position they hold in their company. If you’re the person in charge you may want to take some time to examine the way your company and industry works and see if there’s an opportunity to allow some of your employees to work from home on occasion.

If instead, you’re an employee at such an institution, perhaps try speaking to your leadership and fellow employees to see if it would be possible to institute such a program at your business.

Work From Home Day’s provides an opportunity for flexibility that can help raise the morale of your employees, avoid lost productivity, and provide solutions for those going through temporary hardships.

Not all companies are on board when it comes to working from home and often it can be places of work that have a very strict ‘clocking in and out’ policy. They may not always trust that their employees will work when they are supposed to and that they will complete the work that is expected of them.

Ways you can be productive at home
Not everybody enjoys working from home and sometimes the two parts of our lives need to be separate. However, there are times when working in your own sanctuary can pay off.

If you think it’s counterproductive to work from your own home, then think again. It’s actually been found that people work to a slightly higher standard at home. Yes, you may well have distractions at home and that sofa and box set might be calling you, but you’re more likely to put in the effort to get the job done.

It goes without saying that being in the office is far more social and you’ll enjoy grabbing that latte far more when you can have it with a side order of office gossip.

First thing you need to prioritize is a workstation! Find somewhere that is comfortable and practical that perhaps doesn’t include your bed. Not only will be more organized and efficient, but you’ll also feel more constructive if you sit at an actual desk and get ready for your day wearing some actual clothes, rather than your pajamas.

Remember that procrastination will most likely try and be your best friend. Hanging out the laundry and starting those little DIY jobs (you’ve been meaning to do since last year) suddenly become appealing – or they’re staring you right in the face, making you feel compelled to sort them out. They aren’t going to help you stay productive and the jobs will still be there for the end of the day or the weekends, as they normally would.

Then set yourself a schedule and stick to it. Set your start time for the day, what time your break periods will be and what time you’ll finish for the day. This will keep you on track with your workload and avoid tasks creeping into your evening and family time. Not only does it stop you working overtime but it also sends the message to your co-workers that you are working in a productive way at home.

If you’d normally get out for some fresh air when you’re at work, then make sure that you allow yourself to do the same at home. Not only do you need to mix things up a bit during your day for your sanity, but you need to set your routines so that they’re similar. Get outdoors for some fresh air and escape the four walls that you have been looking at for a while!

Whether working from home is an occasional occurrence or not, make sure that you know how to get the most out of it when it happens. Having the flexibility to do so and an employer that allows it, is a key advantage to have and is the future with a lot of companies and their employees.