My current client is happy enough for me to work from home 2 days a week. This is something I requested so that I could keep my sanity as the 3 hours commute, with a small baby at home, that doesn’t understand nights are for sleeping, was too much.

I’m hopeful, that I can do this more and more on future jobs as working from home can be a real joy, and anyone who has the opportunity should definitely take it.

That is not to say it is all rainbows. As with any perk, it is important that you don’t abuse it or it may just be taken away, so here are my recommendations for anyone looking to WFH.

Don’t’ forget to socialize

We all do this at work, be it at the coffee machine, over lunch or just with the person next to you. This is an important part of your day as it helps you relax before continuing with your work. As such make sure you have time for your family during the day, as (most likely) they are happy to have you home to talk to as well.

Just be sure that you also ensure your family know that you are home to work or perform odd jobs aroud the house.

Have a work plan

It is never wise to start work without having a plan for the day. This is doubly true when you are WFH as you can’t just turn to your boss/colleagues to discuss what is next. This is becoming less of a problems as most teams have some form of task online board and you can just pick up the next task.

It is still a good idea to have agreed the next day’s work before you leave the office, especially if you are likely to be working away for multiple days or about to start/finish a major piece of work.

Keep in touch

If your teams are used to remote work, or even if they aren’t, there is a good chance you will use some form of chat to communicate within the team. This is especially important when you are working from home as it the easiest form of communication for you and the team, even if it is just letting everyone know that you have gone to lunch.

Be productive

This is an important one.

Keep in mind that not every day can (or even has to) be super productive, some days are just slow. However, it is important to remember you are being employed to do a job and if your boss/co-workers lose faith in you performing that job while WFH, you will soon find that WFH days are a thing of the past.

Not every day can be super productive

Sure I already mentioned this in the last point. But I want to raise it again, as just because you are working towards your goals, doesn’t mean you will be super productive. This is fine, you just need to be clearly communicating any blockers and ensuring you ask for help when you can.

It is also important to make yourself available if other in the team have questions for you.

Your not alone

Well maybe you are, but you can still use any number of tools to work collaboratory with your colleagues in the office (or even their house if they are also WFH). While it may take some getting used to pairing remotely is definitely possible, some people even prefer it.