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So it’s a snow day and you get to work from home? Or you’ve arranged to telecommute one day a week for added flexibility? Even better yet, your job may allow you to work from home most, if not, all the time? Psyched…Yes! No longer do you have to worry about getting up at the crack of dawn to get ready! Or worry about dropping off the kids and barely making it to work on time! So here you are in your PJ’s, coffee cup in hand, ready to work, only…on your own terms…However, even if the boss or that annoying co-worker is not around, there are some rules you still have to follow when telecommuting:

• Be courteous! Although you’re working from home and are not in the office, it’s always good policy to remain as courteous as if you were in the office; which means responding to emails promptly, checking your voicemail and responding to messages, and if required, checking in at some point during the day. Another good practice as recommended by numerous managers is to provide a status update towards the end of the day summarizing what’s been accomplished throughout the day.
• Be Professional! It’s not because you’re taking a work call from the comfort of your home that the level of professionalism should suffer. I learnt the hard way when taking a call from home as my own home phone was stubbornly ringing in the back, and obviously forgetting to mute the call. Always remain professional even as you’re addressing a sticky work situation in your PJ’s and comfy pink slippers. The person at the end of the line could just be gauging how professional you are in all circumstances…
• Be Effective! Contrarily to public opinion, it’s actually harder to work from home than from the office at times. Despite the convenience of being in the comfort of home, there is also a myriad of distractions to keep away from. From the dishes left in the sink, to the kids running around as you’re trying to tie out these quarterly financials, to the cat litter’s smell begging for replacement, your home is like a mine field of distractions calling at you from every corner. So devise your own strategy to be as effective and productive as you can! What has always worked for me is to start very early in the morning, when everyone is still asleep. As the day goes by, I schedule time for each task, carving out some specific time slots to check email, voicemail, take coffee breaks, or even change the cat’s litter.

What are your rules when working from home?

The Corporate Sister.