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How to refine your WFH etiquette

· 3 min read
D Balaji

work from home

The office bees were asked to work from home in March 2020. It means with no prior experience employees are expected to do something as part of a team. Here are 3 things which you should do as part of WFH etiquette.

1. It's about how others hear you​

It does not matter if you are working from a beach or high floor apartment or your living room. Make sure your team members hear only your voice and nothing else from the background.

Most of us have put a sticker on the webcam and the only way others perceive your professional behavior is with the computer audio. Here are a few things you should do

  1. Find a room where there are hardly any household noises or noises from the vehicles on the busy street. Honking is common in India so avoid rooms near the street.

  2. Find a good microphone to give your best audio during meetings.

  3. Invest in a good internet connection. A bad internet connection can lead to bad audio.

2. Don't be an evening weirdo​

Just because people are working from home, it does not mean that you can pull others into a meeting during odd hours.

Embrace asynchronous communication and get better at writing. Meetings demand everyone's time, but writing an email/chat to send information could be beneficial to the team.

I believe we should stick to 9 am to 5 pm, especially in India where everyone works in the same time zone. It should be easy to follow.

Pulling team members into a meeting in the evening means they are going to miss their walk/exercise. Do not spoil the team culture and team members' health.

3. Stay accountable & get things done​

You cannot blame the lack of office for your reduced productivity. Missing on a crucial defect could lead to a deferred release getting a bad rep for the whole team.

Fix the common issues & establish your process​

Don't repeat the same reasons like power cut, internet, etc. Just find an alternate or plan B.

Unreliable practices are a recipe to failure which your team members can notice. You should set up your own WFH rules or process.

Have reliable practices like

  • Dedicated on and off for working time like old school 9 am to 5 pm

  • Ergonomic chair or whatever works for you. Don't let ergonomics eat into your casual leaves. You have one backbone.

  • Uninterrupted power supply to your internet router & laptop

  • Reliable internet connection is a must, you want to download node modules or docker images right 😃

  • Practice stress management and take care of your health. We are disconnected socially more than ever before.

  • Read books on remote working like the book remote itself.

Beware: You could be on the surveillance​

Employee surveillance software is real. Your org could know the hours you logged in, may capture screenshots, know about browsing history, or even record audio. Your employer might even know where you are working from, you know that GPS thing right.

Just be professional all the time, even though you are away from work.

Hubstaff is one such surveillance software that I am aware of. Windows & mac have similar security software running in the background.