Work From Home Tips
Work From Home Tips From EFP Staff Members
As we enter November, many of us are still faced with the challenge of working remotely. EFP employees are alike the rest of the world in searching for ways to combat the difficulties that arise while working from home. Jennifer Alfano, Sr Client Service Specialist, Shannon Jezek, Sr Data Specialist, and , Kevin Hugh, ACA & Enrollment Systems Architect, were kind enough to divulge a few of their tips and tricks when it comes to adapting to working remotely.
Jennifer noticed when she transitioned to work from home a major challenge was communication, both between team members but also between co-workers she would otherwise engage in small talk over lunch or between breaks in the day. Jennifer’s tip to deal with any lack of communication is to never be afraid to pick up the phone and call someone, whether it is a co-worker you have a question for or a co-worker you just want to check-in on. To deal with lack of face-to-face interaction, Jennifer also highly recommends having video meetings every now and then. Creating as many lines of communication as possible is important during this time.
Back in March, Shannon was not the only one in her household to transition online, her daughter did as well. Shannon quickly realized she would have to learn to juggle helping her daughter with distance learning as well as continue to complete her work all within a nine-hour day. To deal with the challenge of multiple people under the same roof working or learning remotely, Shannon finds it essential to have your own dedicated workspace. Mirroring your regular office set up at home can help with a routine as well as separate home life to work life to avoid spending too much work time cleaning the house or home time checking emails.
Kevin has not been immune to the issues we face while working from home, but he has overall enjoyed his time these last few months. Kevin’s commute to work has shorted from an hour each way to just a few steps. Kevin’s tip to deal with any stress during this time is to take advantage of the time you gain, cook a healthy lunch or dinner for yourself, take a walk during lunch, or use the extra time in the morning to enjoy a relaxing cup of coffee and watch the news. It is important to remember the positive side of things each day.
With the uncertainty of when offices will be at full capacity again it is important, we all remember to check-in on those around us as many of our co-workers are trying to combat similar challenges and don’t forget to take necessary breaks throughout the day.