Working at home is often dreamed of by jealous office colleagues, but there are real reasons why it's the way forward for progressive workplaces.
Why telework? Australia is behind Europe and the US when it comes to the proportion of teleworking employees. One of the goals of the Government's National Digital Economy Strategy, which encompasses the NBN, is to encourage greater uptake of teleworking in Australia, raising the percentage of teleworkers from 6% to 12% by 2020.
Among benefits for employees and employers, an increased teleworking population would reduce pollution, traffic and energy use.
Remote desktop software allows you to control a PC at your office, the
ultimate extension of your office to the home - but for some
dual-booting or virtualising might be more appropriate.
For employees, teleworking benefits include a better work/life balance, money-saving, more flexible working hours, a more comfortable working environment, and access to work for those further away from cities, those with disabilities and those with responsibilities who are caregivers or mothers on maternity leave.
For employers, reported benefits include increased productivity, savings on office costs, reduced absenteeism, reduced time and costs in service delivery, improved staff retention and, in some cases, a benefit to attract talented staff.
Tips for teleworking
Dress for the occasion
Yes you can work in your PJs, but experienced teleworkers will tell you it's still a good idea to dress smart casual to encourage a productive working environment. And if you teleconference, put on a tie!
Minimise distractions
No TV in your work space, no kettle or fridge (keep those to the kitchen), and if family will be home, set 'hours of business' when you can and can't be disturbed.
Take regular breaks
Just like in the office, regular breaks clear your mind and keep the blood flowing. Use the opportunity to fetch a coffee but don't do house duties in this time – washing up or visiting the post office should be lunch or after-hours activities.
Organise your work space
Keep documents sorted, use filing cabinets if you use a lot of papers, clean your desk at the end of every day. Above all, keep work documents and personal documents separate; you don't need the extra clutter of house bills or your tax forms lying around.
Separate work and home PCs
If the PC you're working on at home for teleworking is the same as your personal PC, it can be worthwhile to either set up a dual-boot system to keep your work operating system and all your files separate from your home one, or install an operating system into a virtual machine and work from that. The latter takes a little more resources, but running a virtual machine full-screen, you can't tell the difference.
