The fast spread of the new coronavirus has affected everything from air travel to goods being imported in the countries. We have recently seen countries taking great measures to stop further spread of COVID-19. Some of their efforts have been to shutdown schools, higher learning institutions, church services, government offices and majority of businesses around the world. Most companies are being advised to encourage their employees to work from home.

 This is a new concept to most people, even though it is being done by others like freelancers, affiliate marketers and bloggers. Some companies are recruiting new employees to work from home and everything is done online. It can be exciting the first few days as you get to work in the comfort of your home but it can get boring real fast. There are a few pros and cons of working from home we can get into in this post and later get some tips on how to manage working from home during this social distancing period.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ADVANTAGES OF WORKING FROM HOME?

1.     Flexibility- you have the freedom of coming up with your own schedule of how to handle the tasks given to you. Just make sure you are meeting your deadlines.

2.     Time saving- we spend a lot of time on the road especially if you live in a town or city that experiences major traffic. You end up saving so much time which means you can be able to do more work and be more productive. 

3.     Saves money- you save a lot of money on fuel or fare because you do not need to leave the house.

4.     Autonomy- no one is there to micromanage or supervise you during your work. You get to do your work and determine on how and when you report to who is in charge. While at it ensure to get your work done well and on time.

WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES OF WORKING FROM HOME?

1.     Distractions-it is so easy to get carried away. Whether there is going to be a screaming child who needs your attention or TV calling out your name so loud for you to turn it on. This distractions can greatly limit your productivity. If you can, get help so that you can focus on your work.

2.     Relationships are harder to form- since your human interactions are limited, you may find it harder to create great human connections that may help your work or business. Try and make use of phone calls and video calls to make new relationships.

3.     Monotony- Your house is basically where you will spend all of your time it may quickly become boring and draining for you. This will force you to make an effort of getting change the scenery.

HOW CAN WE MANAGE WORKING FROM HOME?

1.     DISCIPLINE- This is the most important thing you will need to have as you work from home. Practice a lot of self-discipline as you do your work from home. This will help you concentrate on work and finish on your assignment instead of catching up on your favorite series re-run.

2.     TIME MANAGEMENT- You need to set your work hours and plan out your time and stick to it. Allocate all your task a set amount of time and focus on it when done you can move to the next one. Remember to add in some breaks to give you time to refresh.

3.     STAY FOCUSED. - It is so easy to be reluctant as you do not have someone to monitor you at home. Remain focused on the task you are expected to do and ensure to finish on time. Make to do list to help give you a clear direction of what need to be done

4.     BE ORGANIZED- Find a place in your house and set up your work station. This will be your designated space for work it doesn’t have to be fancy just functional. Have all you stationary well-arranged and put them close by so that you do not have to move around a lot.

5.     HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS- Get all the necessary requirements from your office so that you don’t miss out on information. You do not need to have the latest gadgets or software to function. Just get a good computer and have reliable internet connection. You can use Skype or Google Hangouts to reach out to your colleagues. Ensure you are well equipped to use them and if you need more there are so many useful resources thanks to the internet.

6.     KEEP IT PROFESSIONAL. -It can be tempting to be lazy and avoid being your best. So wake up, clean up and put on some nice clothes and be presentable. You do not want to be answering video calls in your pajamas. Remember to do your hair and be kempt.

Working from home may not be everyone’s cup of tea. There those of us who crave human interactions or simply enjoy being in an office with their colleagues. Despite these changes we should also strive to be productive even if we are not going to our offices. We should embrace this change to try and limit the spread of COVID-19.Remember to practice hygiene while you are at home. Having an assignment to be accomplished and need to engage new employees to work from home? Don’t hesitate to contact Brites Management Services, we shall ensure the work is done remotely and report sent on time.

Cynthia Chebet

Marketing Executive 

Brites Management Services