Travel Blog

The recent storms that have crisscrossed the United States this year are usually reserved for Canada. Inclement weather on the East Coast and elsewhere in the country has many workers snowed in at home. That doesn’t mean they’re not working, which we know that they are. But the question is are they following healthy work habits while working at home. Do they have Healthy Work Habits at Home?

There are two elements to Healthy Work Habits at Home. One is from a corporate basis and is the company getting its money’s worth and are you protecting your companies information and assets?  The other is more focused on personal health and making sure that you get the proper amount of exercise, eat properly and take appropriate breaks etc.

We would love to hear your comments on our thoughts on this topic.

Healthy Work Habits at Home – the Person

Many people tend to work harder at home than they do at the office. Hard to believe, but when you stop to think about it is obvious. There are less interruptions and impromptu meetings to go to, you can respond to emails and text messages on your schedule without the interruption of a face to face meeting. There is a great deal of time lost when we meet people in the office and chit chat for a few minutes before getting down to business. When working at home, a phone call is automatically more business like and much less prone to chit chat.

There are many reasons why people work more concentrated hours and longer hours at home. A simple one is that the computer is simply there and we cannot resist the temptation to check our email.

So what should we do to manage our health and to make sure we practice healthy work habits at home.

Steps to Consider

We identified a number of steps that works for us. We have been working from home for almost 10 years and have developed a number of habits which helps to keep us healthy.

• Establish a schedule and stick to it as much as possible. Start time, breaks, lunch, and quitting time that meets your needs as well as the company.
• Treat your day as if you were going to the office. Get up at the same time, have a shower, prepare for work in the same manner you would if you actually went into the office.
• Set your office in a separate place in the home that has some sort of physical separation from the rest of the home.
• Use a timer to keep track of time. Every hour get up and stretch your legs and arms. Go for a short walk if you can just to get your circulation going.
• Take and actual break for coffee and also for lunch. If you can , leave the house and go for a walk, go to the mall, go to the coffee shop to get a separation from your work. This is good for your mind and your body.
• Establish the discipline you need to avoid snacking. It is so easy to snack when you are at home. If you must snack find some food that is low on salt and low on calories.
• Make sure you have an ergonomic chair and desk. You will spend a lot of time there and you should be at least comfortable

Healthy Work Habits at Home – the Office

“If people aren’t working, they’re not generating revenue. If people are working from home, it’s business as usual,” said Chuck Wilsker, president and chief executive of The Telework Coalition, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit education and advocacy organization for people who work remotely with the help of technology.

Healthy Work Habits at Home – Protect yourself from identity theft

With identity theft and fraud hitting record levels, MarketWatch’s Jennifer Waters talks with Kelsey Hubbard about what’s behind the growth.

If you travel for work, your company likely already has telecommuting policies in place, you’re aware of them, and you have the required hardware and software to work from home.

But if you’re almost always in the office, consider these five tips for working from home safely and efficiently.

1. Know your company’s policies

If you don’t know your company’s telecommuting policies, you could be putting information at risk — and your job, too.

“If they lose information… if they’re going outside policy or not following standard common-sense standards for data security, that could mean their job,” said Jeremy Miller, director of operations at Kroll Fraud Solutions.

2. Secure your systems

Does your work require use of a company-issued computer to access its system? If so, you have a responsibility to keep that laptop or other device — and all the information contained within it — secure, Miller said.

If you’re using your personal computer, make sure to take precautions as well, including disabling peer-to-peer applications so that files are not visible to others on the Web. And you might not think anything of it if your neighbor or roommate logs on to your computer, but if there is work information on the machine, you could be in violation of company policy, Miller said.

3. Protect your computer

Enable your wireless network’s password protection and use a good password so that outsiders can’t hack into the network, according to a tip sheet from Best Buy’s Geek Squad, a technology assistance service.

And before you use a home computer to access office files or databases, make sure your operating system has the latest security updates. Also, check to ensure your antivirus program is reputable and current, the Geek Squad said.

4. Back up files

Regardless of where you’re working, make sure you back up your data — especially when there are severe winds or several feet of snow, according to the Geek Squad. Large files can be stored to a USB drive or an online storage spot.

5. Create a comfortable working environment

Minimize distractions at home by setting up your desk in a place where you can concentrate. A place that is reasonably quiet. Call center employees who work from home often are prohibited from having such things as barking dogs or chirping birds in the background, Wilsker said. But it’s not a bad idea for any employee working at home to limit background noise for when work calls need to be taken.

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