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How to reap the rewards of working from home

1. Ask yourself

It takes a special kind of personality to telework successfully. Not everyone is suited to it. If you can answer ‘yes’ to the majority of these questions, then teleworking may be for you:

  • Are you well-organised?
  • Are you easily self-motivated?
  • Can you set your own work timetables?
  • Can you work with occasional distractions?
  • Are you sufficiently self-disciplined to keep your nose to the grindstone?
  • Do you have good time-management skills?
  • Can you work alone, or is your personality better suited to a team setting?
  • Can you set goals for yourself, and stick to them?
  • Is there a space in your home for you to set up exclusively as your office?
  • Do you have all the equipment necessary to operate an efficient, professional office?
  • Can you manage without traditional office support, and resources?
  • Will you be able to cope in relative isolation, without the social interaction which a corporate office provides?

2. Don't forget

The basic requirements…

  • Set up ground rules with your family.
  • Discipline yourself to begin work at a definite time each day and establish office routines, such as checking e-mails first thing each morning, sending out invoices on Fridays, etc.
  • Set priorities and deadlines, and stick with them.
  • Establish good work habits - but don’t spend too much time at work, or at weekends, simply because your workplace is so close. Balance your life.
  • Dress appropriately - and that doesn’t mean getting around in your dressing gown. Productivity relates to how you feel, and look.
  • Avoid temptations - sofa, television, novel, golf, refrigerator.
  • Report in to the corporate office at least daily - to avoid isolation and to keep in contact with colleagues.
  • Maintain accurate records of activities and expenses.
  • Reward yourself from time to time - take a walk, play with the dog, water the plants. Take regular breaks or productivity will suffer. Teleworking is all about flexibility without guilt. Have a day or two off every now and then.
  • Seek contact with others - for lunch or tennis. There’s no need to go stir-crazy.

Teleworking is about freedom and responsibility. Get the balance right and you’ll be a successful teleworker.

3. Benefits for teleworkers

According to Eicon Technology Corporation, the benefits of teleworking for a corporate employee are as follows:

  • Reduces travel time to and from work, and eliminates both the stresses and the costs associated with a daily commute.
  • Increases job satisfaction.
  • Allows for flexible work hours.
  • Permits a more balanced home life.
  • Increases productivity and commitmen …

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