Working from home? Here’s how to do it effectively

As coronavirus continues to spread, some companies are asking employees to work from home.  To help prepare for this possibility, career coach gives Shanna Landolt broke down some tips to make working from home, work. Check them out below, and click on the video above to learn more.

1. SET A WORK SCHEDULE

Find out when your boss really needs you to be available. When you work from home, you won’t necessarily have to work 9 a.m, to 5 p.m. For example, you may be able to work 7 a.m. t0 3 p.m. or work partly during the day and partly during the evening. Consider the time of day when you are most productive. Also consider when you need to be in communication with your coworkers and customers.

2. PLAN YOUR DAY AND WORK YOUR PLAN

Identify what needs to get done every day and make sure to do it. Create a To-Do list and check it off so you feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of each day

3. CHOOSE A DEDICATED WORK SPACE

Don’t work from your bed or your couch. Dedicate a specific room or surface in your home to work. Many companies have a budget to help you get your home office set up including things like a laptop, printer, mouse and a comfortable chair.

4. USE THE CLOUD

Upload important documents to a cloud storage service such as Dropbox or Google Drive. This way you can log in from anywhere and never have to worry about having your files with you.

5. GET OUT OF THE HOUSE

Working from home can be lonely. You don’t have to eat out every day, but try to leave your home office regularly.Go for a walk and get some fresh air. Take a break and go to the gym. Work for a couple of hours each week from a coffee shop.

6. 'SHOW UP' TO MEETINGS AND BE HEARD

You will likely be attending video conferences and conference calls. Speak up during the meeting so everyone knows that you are on the call. Even if it is just saying “Thanks Everyone! Bye” at the close of the meeting.

7. OVER-COMMUNICATE

Working from home requires you to over-communicate. Update your boss or manager frequently. Tell everyone who needs to know about your availability and schedule.When you finish a project or important task say so. Let people know what you are working on.[video_embed id='1919251']BEFORE YOU GO: What the Canada-US border looks like in the wake of COVID-19[/video_embed]