Commercial Integrator July 2021 - 14

THE SERVICE DESK
What You Need For Remote Work
As companies make decisions about how many employees will come into the office and how often
they'll do it, it's important to understand the considerations around remote work. by Ed Mana
WHEN NEW YORK issued stay-at-home
orders in March of 2020, the continuity
of doing business suffered for many. In
the case of my company, however, it was
business as usual.
Why, you ask? Our business and team
have been working been remotely from
day 1.
While many businesses did not have
the luxury to pivot to online, I am going to
provide you the essential tips and tricks for
both remote work and hybrid as this is now
mainstream.
Remote Work
Where will you work remotely?
This is the biggest part of the puzzle.
Working from home is great, but you will
need a space to do the work. While I have
a dedicated home office, many friends
of mine have resorted to various spaces
such as converted closets, garages, guest
rooms, etc.
In some areas, the weather even permitted
working outside. I have found that in
order to be successful at work, a dedicated
space needs to be defined. Working at the
kitchen table and then losing that workspace
for mealtime is not ideal.
Focus on finding a space that doesn't
need to be moved or transported each day.
A folding table and an office chair are
relatively inexpensive. In some cases,
companies even allow you to take home
supplies and equipment for work use. In a
pinch, the party table from work and your
desk chair may suffice.
How will you deal with the technology?
Most companies traditionally have separated
home and work in terms of support.
Your IT department at work is not necessarily
going to support you at home. In
2020, this changed! An essential part of
this equation is finding out if employees are
covered under this support umbrella and
what are the boundaries. For employers,
the key here is to set those boundaries.
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Commercial Integrator JULY 2021
For hybrid work to be sustainable thre must be ground rules, including scheduling
and the equipment being used by the remote employee.
It is essential that you use your work
equipment (laptop, phone, printer, etc.) for
work only, as this is mandatory.
One big advantage in these times is that
many line-of-business applications we use
are cloud-based. This allows us to truly
work from anywhere. There are still times
where you need access to files that are not
in an app.
For those times, file sync-and-share services
are essential. They allow you to have a
" file server in the cloud. "
From a technology standpoint, I feel
the following are necessary " tools of the
trade " to work from home:
› Laptop
› External monitor(s) if space permits
› Phone (Either a desktop phone or
softphone on your PC)
› Headset
› Printer (If needed for work docs)
› Camera and mic (Built into a laptop;
use a better one if you are conferencing
a lot)
› External lighting and back-drop if
you do a lot of video calls
All the above is only applicable with
internet access. For anyone without internet,
or good internet, check to see if your
phone can be used as a hotspot or perhaps
your company has one they can loan to you
for work activities.
One new challenge will be for companies
to determine a work from home
stipend for employees. Like per mile rates
for employees using personal vehicles for
work, use of services at home such as power,
internet, and phone should be covered
as well for work-related activities.
How can you " be at work " remotely?
It's easy when working from home to succumb
to the distractions that are all around
us. Cleaning, laundry, doorbells, kids doing
on-line classes; the list goes on and on. The
key to " being at work " remotely is to set
boundaries both for yourself and for those
around you.
While it may not be feasible to block out
8 straight hours for work, look for some flexcommercialintegrator.com
RYMDEN
/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

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Commercial Integrator July 2021

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