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Hybrid working: starting in the workplace
Hybrid working: starting in the workplace

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3.1 Your home office

As you heard in the videos in the previous section, having a dedicated space for your remote work is preferable, if possible. Home distractions are one of the major issues impacting productivity in the home workspace (Franken et al., 2021). Ideally you should pick a location that is only used for work, with space for everything you need to perform your role. Noise should also be kept to a minimum: research has shown factors such as having more children in the house can unsurprisingly negatively impact work productivity (Franken et al., 2021). Somewhere that other members of your household will not be wandering into unexpectedly is therefore going to be the optimum location for your home office.

You should also take care in setting up your webcam and microphone. Not only should these be of appropriate quality, but you should try to find a professional (or plain) background. Video calls are one of the most prominent features of the hybrid workplace, so having a professional background can help prevent any embarrassing moments when you first start. Ideally, you want your workstation positioned so that nobody (including any pets) can walk behind you and get on the camera.

However, this is the ideal approach, and one of the benefits to come from the COVID-19 pandemic is the shared experience of remote working. Most workplaces and colleagues understand that housemates, children and pets are part of our working life, and have evolved to adopt a more inclusive approach which accepts that sometimes our home lives and work collide.

Activity 6 Planning your home office

Timing: 5 minutes

Think about your own home. Based on the advice above, where would be the best place for your home office? Why?