Working from home peaked during the pandemic but since things have returned to normal, remote working has remained popular. Over 20 million people in the UK were recorded to be working from home in 2021 for its convenience but there are some pitfalls to remote working that you might not have considered.
Here are our top tips to tackle working from home so you can avoid injury and improve your productivity:
Have a separate workspace
Research conducted by National Accident Helpline found that many of us lack a suitable place to work, with 18% working from bedrooms, 14% from dining rooms, 10% from kitchens, and 4% from hallways!
Having a separate space dedicated to work can massively improve your productivity by clearly distinguishing between work and relaxing, as well as limiting home distractions. This was confirmed by National Accident Helpline as they found those with separate office rooms (19%) were more comfortable.
Invest in a good chair
These unsuitable workplaces have led to working-from-home-related injuries such as eye strain and neck pain. In the National Accident Helpline study, back pain was the most common with 1 in 4 homeworkers reporting to have suffered from it. This is largely attributed to inadequate seating, with the sofa (25%) and the dining table contributing to injuries.
In the case of injury resulting from work, you should seek advice to see whether you’re eligible to make a no-win no fee compensation claim and receive some compensation.
Socialise as much as possible
Though working from home might be convenient, a lot of the social aspects of our jobs have been replaced with a reliance on zoom meetings and virtual appointments. Unsurprisingly, 46% of UK remote workers have experienced loneliness which impacted their well-being.
The best way to tackle this is to stay connected with your colleagues. This can be as simple as setting a few minutes aside at the start of a meeting for small talk, attending social events, or arranging socials outside of work hours.
Plan your working day and stick to it
Working from home doesn’t have the dynamic of an office where you are consistently moving on to the next work that needs to be done. At home, it can be easy to get distracted or find yourself taking longer to complete jobs and find yourself falling behind.
Having a schedule that works for you means you’ll easily be able to manage your workload and keep productivity levels high. You’ll know how much work you need to complete by the end of the day and at what times jobs need to be completed.
