This week is Work Wise Week, an initiative to make Britain
one of the world's most progressive economies by encouraging
smarter working practices, and this Friday will be National Work
from Home Day. Oliver Chivers, head of business marketing at
T-Mobile UK, gives his top tips for how to excel when you're not in
the office.
1. Start work at the same time every day. Treat
days when you work from home like regular workdays: get up, get
dressed, and be at your desk at the usual time
2. Structure your day. Having a routine pays
dividends. Not only does it help maintain focus, your colleagues
and employer will also appreciate knowing where you will be at what
time. It also means you can plan your day around the school run if
necessary
3. Create a dedicated office space. It is crucial
to separate your work area from your living area otherwise it is
easy to get distracted
4. Get the right tools for the job. When working from home it
is particularly important that the office can communicate with you
at all times, not only to maintain productivity levels but to
engender trust with other work colleagues. Make sure you have a few
ways for people to contact you - such as a mobile, a landline,
email and instant messaging - so if one goes down for a while, your
colleagues will still have a way to reach you - and vice versa.
5. Limit distractions. Make sure friends, family
and partners understand what working from home is about and they
are not to disturb you when at work
6. Remember to take regular breaks and stretch your
legs. Whether it's making a cup of tea or going for a run at
lunch, you need to keep your mind fresh
7. Change locations. Using mobile technology means
that if you occasionally need a change of scenery, you can go to a
Wifi café for a day, or even work in the garden
8. Health and Safety. As when working in an office,
make sure your chair and computer is set up comfortably so you
don't strain your neck, wrist or back
9. If you've got an important call to take, make
sure you have somewhere quiet you can go where you know you will
not be interrupted by noisy neighbours or roadworks
10. Set your own deadlines and keep to them. It can
be easy to switch off when you don't have the boss breathing down
your neck.
Home working by numbers:
Nearly 3.5 million people already work from home in the UK -
that's a huge 12.2 % of the population, and an increase of
600,000 since 1997. The highest proportion of home workers is in
the south west with 15.7%, followed by eastern England with 14.4%.
The lowest is in the north east with 9.3%, followed by Scotland
with 9.4%.