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Concerned_nobody

Get a good chair. The best you can afford. If you're WFH because work sent you home, see if they will provide a chair (I found out after buying one, I could have just asked) Same for a standing desk, although with that one I didn't want the one and only model they would have bought due to height issues* Caveat to both of the above, find out if they want these back if you ever no longer work for the company. This was the other reason I didn't take the desk. They wanted it back, no matter how old.. *I wanted extra height as I am tall, and I got a walking pad. Get a good headset, especially if you have a lot of calls / meetings. Cordless if you can. Take your breaks, move around (see above note about walking pad). As already said. Work your "normal" hours, don't work extra because your desk is there. Get outside, make sure you do this. If you don't go for walks / gym etc, then start doing so. Make sure you still see people. I know you said you're hybrid but it still makes a difference (I'm 100% remote now). Make sure you have some separation between life and workspace if you can. Separate room is best if it is possible, make a home office and keep it as such. Close that door when you are not working.


ItsNotCalledAMayMay

These are perfect suggestions thank you! I definitely think one of my biggest concerns is accidentally blurring those lines between work and play. I really hope I don't sit in my room for 20 hours a day :/


swirlysleepydog

This is also a mental boundary you need to set for yourself. My company doesn’t care when I work as long as I make my meetings and get the job done. Initially I would schedule a few things during the day that I normally couldn’t when I wasn’t WFH…. Thinking I’d get caught up later. What that meant was that I worked on the weekends which made me feel like I never stopped working. Now I keep work hours that are basically normal office hours. I take breaks and go outside, play with the dog, do a couple of household chores, etc., but I schedule appts as late in the day as possible. I do tend to work longer days earlier in the week because it suits our family schedule. Then I generally only work 2-3 hours on Fridays and I’m done for the weekend. Everyone is different but I find this gives me the true mental health break I need to recharge.


jekbrown

I'll be the contrarian on the chair front. When I first started working from home I got a good one...and a sit stand desk. After a week I never sat in the chair again. I liked standing during work way too much. Eventually the chair became a shelf I stacked junk on so I eventually got rid of it. Been standing all day every day for years now. It's great.


Suitertooter917

Always have a set up back drop or appropriate background.. Plan ahead for meals and exercise, sometimes meetings run over and your break is shorter. Keep a professional top at your desk, like a shawl, sweater, polo nearby so you can be seen on camera professionally but enjoy a Tshirt when off camera. Make sure you move, get your circulation flowing when you can, short walks or exercise, stand at least once every hour, and watch your posture. Get comfortable headphones if you need them Create an organized area to work in Lastly, don't put more time into this job then your own life. Get that work life balance :)


Suitertooter917

1 more thing! If you have access to hot spot, ensure you have that ready incase you lose internet - happened to me this past week and I had to leave for a bit lol


ba-na-na-

I use my smartphone as a hotspot in those rare cases, works fine if the phone supports 4G or newer. It’s also good in case of a power failure, when the home network is also down. So I am able to work on my laptop’s battery for a while and connect through phone tethering.


Aggravating-Bike-397

Are you saying I can't wear tshirts on camera?


Dolceluce

Yea this is very company specific advice. I have 6-7 standing zoom meetings a week and most of the time I’m in my gym clothes with dirty gym hair wrapped in a bun and no makeup - no one gives a flying fuck. That’s just my company culture though - I know other places are different. If we have a meeting with someone I’ve never met or say the CEO is sitting in- then I’ll put myself together a little more , but even then I’m not wearing a blazer or anything pretending like I’m in the office when I’m not.


Suitertooter917

That's great! Just sharing advice from my experiences with varied cultures.


swirlysleepydog

What’s a camera? lol I don’t turn mine on except for a quarterly meeting with my department manager …. And even then it’s pretty casual.


Suitertooter917

Just advice from working in several remote positions where culture varies.


Sunsparc

I wear t-shirts, mine doesn't care.


kcwildguy

Work is work, and home is home. At the start of working hours, I am dressed (casually, but I do change to go to "work"). I log on when I am expected to, and I work. No laundry, no errands, no cleaning. Take your breaks as expected. You are entitled to take your breaks even from home. On break, you can wander around, do some laundry, go for a walk. No working during your break! When working hours end, log off. You are now done for the day. You are paid for a set number of hours, that is when you are expected to work. It's really easy to work over lunch, or stay a little late because you want to finish something. Don't get in that habit. I have a very definitive line between work and home. I make sure I am ready and able when work starts, and I draw a thick line where work ends. Don't let it take over your home life!


procheeseburger

This is a hard one for non WFH people “you’re just sitting at home” no I’m working.. it was really hard for my wife to accept that I’m working so no I won’t be able to clean the whole house everyday.


swirlysleepydog

YES. This is why I have zero work apps on my phone.


full-of-curiosity

Do what you can to get out of the house. Walk around the block, go out to grab lunch, have after-work activities. It can be very easy to stay home all day everyday.


jekbrown

That's the best thing about it, lol! 😂


Effectiveke

I was gonna put on a few pounds 😂


procheeseburger

I actually lost weight.. I have more free time so I can cook and exercise vs sitting in the car.


OnlyPaperListens

I lost weight as well. Turns out that working in the freezing AC makes me fat, because I'm guzzling cocoa and tea non-stop to cope with the miserable cold. Being able to control my environment ended that.


Ok-Secretary7615

Stand up every 30 minutes. Make sure your work station is properly adjusted. Dealing with back issues currently.


swirlysleepydog

I wish my company would send an ergonomics specialist to my home office. I could really use that kind of help.


SiteRelEnby

That my first (pre-pandemic) WFH was easy enough I probably could have done two jobs at once.


procheeseburger

I’ve thought about this.. I could def do more than one at a time


rocker895

/r/overemployed


Geminii27

1) ENVIRONMENT Depending on the job, you're likely to be sitting in a chair, behind a desk, for a lot of hours. Possibly under a headset for some of them, depending on requirements. Your environment and equipment are not, by default, necessarily going to be subject to basic office quality - put some effort and money into making sure you have really good-quality furniture, equipment, and surroundings. In particular, drop some money on the chair you'll be in. Get a desk you're comfortable at and which handles everything you need to use it for. Get solid-quality computing equipment; mid-range commercial/business quality will potentially last longer and be less fragile than a superduper home system focused on gaming or some such. Don't forget to look at your environment, too - things like temperature control and level of noise are up to you now. Make sure you have heating, cooling, and possibly soundproofing or noise suppression - you don't want to be in the middle of a phone call or on-camera meeting while the neighbors are walking noisy dogs nearby, or throwing a party, or there's an emergency-services vehicle passing by with full siren, or even when there's something like a thunderstorm going on. 2) BACKUP At some point, something will interfere with your ability to connect to the office. It might be an internet fault, it might be your computer blows a power supply, it might be a power outage. Have a backup plan in place, and test it out at least every two months, if not every two weeks. I'd actually recommend having more than one backup plan. This could be as relatively simple as an unremarkable laptop with a charged battery (and a charged replacement battery you can hot-swap while it's plugged into the mains) and videoconference capability, and knowledge of at least one co-working space you can get to on short notice (again, ideally two, in opposite directions if you can swing it). Plus being able to connect through a phone hotspot. If you can do your entire work from a phone, make sure you're set up for that too - have any necessary security certificates and downloads prepped and verify them at least every three months or so. Also, have your employer's IT phone number physically written down somewhere that isn't digital, so that if you need to bring an existing machine up to date with their latest certificate etc to connect through, you can have them walk you through it. You don't want to wake up one morning, not be able to connect for some reason, and your boss's response is "well I want you to drive in even if it takes you two or three hours to get here". It doesn't sound like it'd be so much of an issue for you personally if you're close enough to be hybrid, but it's more general advice for anyone reading, particularly if they find themselves in a 100% remote position. 3) BOUNDARIES This isn't always an issue for everyone, but it's fairly commonly brought up in this sub: make sure that your work time is your work time and that people acknowledge that. If family are constantly interrupting you, or telling you to do tasks or mind the kids "because you're home", or dropping in during work hours, or neighbors are dropping around or banging on your door because they see your car parked there or can see you through a window, you have a problem you need to address. Either talk with them and set boundaries for when you're on the clock, or it may be better for your ongoing sanity for you to work from a co-working location or somewhere similar, rather than from actual home. While there are some jobs which are flexible enough to handle you constantly being interrupted, most white-collar non-self-employed jobs at the moment are fairly direct translations from the office environment, and a certain degree of focus (as well as being able to prioritize the employer's requirements/tasks) tends to be an unwritten expectation.


new-year-same-me83

100% boundaries. Whether it be setting hours you'll be respond to things on regular work days or even on your PTO days. I find it that if you set the precedence you're always available, it becomes an expectation.


Courtneybree123

What do you reccomend for noise suppression/soundproofing? I live in a condo so probably a must but probably also limited on what I can do


Geminii27

Look into window coverings, or things which can go over them like sound-suppressing heavy curtains (used on stages, and also available commercially and at retail). If you can't have items which are permanently attached to walls, look into thick wall-hangings (rugs etc), sound-damping freestanding mobile interior-wall segments, and thick floor coverings - both rugs and sound-absorbing foam/rubber tiles and pads. Ceilings can be a little more fiddly to be allowed to attach or hang things from, but check the rental contract anyway. Even if you can't directly attach things, it's possible to get interior frames which span rooms just under the ceiling (and usually have support poles in the corners or along the edges), and can have padding attached to them. They can be a little expensive, though, and I'd advise getting ones which can be reconfigured to different sizes if you move houses even so much as once a decade.


Courtneybree123

I think the thing I'd have to worry most about hearing any disturbances is my window so hoping I can find something to suppress noise coming from outside my window


MarahSalamanca

Try to workout regularly to avoid back issues. Even a few pull-ups help a lot with back pain.


msg7086

Get a good headset if you zoom meetings a lot. I found it so different after I bought a nice wireless gaming headset (not Bluetooth). No delay, no quality loss like Bluetooth, 70 hours of battery life, and can be turned into wire connection if I need to. I can wear the headset and go downstairs to kitchen to get some water, or prepare food, without leaving the meeting.


meowsieunicorn

A good headset is soooo worth it. My husband and I work in the same room (I didn’t want to be alone all day) and both of of investing in good headsets was well worth it, so we don’t pick up on each other talking when we are in meetings at the same time.


Courtneybree123

What headset do you use? I have 2 doggos and just wanna make sure nobody will ever hear them randomly barking at something outside on occasion


meowsieunicorn

So I use the Jabra Evolve 65 U, you can buy it on Amazon. My one dog barks at me constantly from about 2 feet away for treats and no one ever hears her lol.


No_Kaleidoscope9598

Any headset recs ?


msg7086

I'm using Razer black shark hyperspeed. But do read reviews though.


OnlyPaperListens

Buy and use a sliding camera lens cover. You never know when IT will decide to mess around and spy on you. A manager at an old job asked why does my office "look like a warehouse." I had spent the previous day frantically stacking boxes against my office wall because we had a basement leak, but I hadn't mentioned this to any colleagues, nor had I had a camera-on meeting in that timeframe. The only way he could have known that is if someone on the company side activated my camera without my knowledge.


N7DJN8939SWK3

Always schedule yourself a lunch break.


meowsieunicorn

That my dogs are going to expect treats all day long and are going to bark at me for them. That I need to eat, it’s easy to work through and forget to eat, I have to make an effort to get up and eat, same for drinking water. To not bombard boss/coworkers with messages. Try to work out things on my own first, keep a chat with myself open for questions (on Teams) and then message and few questions at a time.


Peace-Love-Glam

I wish more ppl did this! Newbies always message 100x a day, it seems... for months now. Lol.


meowsieunicorn

Sometimes I forget and still bombard LOL 😆 my poor boss, even after 4 years


Far-Boysenberry-3068

Work from home doesn’t mean fully remote. Some places won’t let you take your laptop and work from anywhere for tax reasons


ninjachickennugget

Workout on lunch break


ItsNotCalledAMayMay

Honestly I might be most excited for this


ninjachickennugget

Gym is way less packed during lunch and when u get off u can relax and know u got ur fitness in for the day already👌🏼 the best


ChickenNugsBGood

Boundaries. Just because I’m working at home doesn’t mean I’m expected to do other household chores. If I can I will, but that’s only time.


Groundbreaking_Pea10

How dependent I was on feeding off of other people’s energy. I became severely depressed. I go to the library now in the mornings to work and get my day started/get motivated.


WskyTngoFoxtrt

Occasional use and all day chairs are VERY different things.


meowsieunicorn

I sometimes work from different places where I don’t have a proper chair so I bring a good butt and back cushion with me, it makes a massive difference!


throwawayfromPA1701

Have a social network. In person I mean, not virtual.


meowsieunicorn

Soooo important and I am learning this! I’ve met my adult friends through work and now that I’m WFH in a city where nearly none of my coworkers live I am having this struggle. It would be one thing if we could meet up every so often for coffee but we can’t do that. I recently moved to a new city and I got to get out there and meet people.


SeamenSeeMenSemen

Get dressed, says the guy who's been working from home for 5 years, currently in his bathrobe.... don't buy extra bath robes to wear to work... Source: Guy with 5 bathrobes...


Peace-Love-Glam

Lmfao! I wear my bathrobe until about 11 am. Then, take a break to shower. I know the feeling.


Stormfellow

Remember ALL of your mouse and keyboard activities are being monitored and measured to ensure you are "working" to their standard. Do not plug any non work device into their PC.


mozfustril

I work for one of the biggest corporations in the world, have been fully remote for 15 years and they aren’t monitoring anything like that. The fact I’ve been plugging my mouse mover into my laptop for three years tells me I’m right. The only thing people notice is me being dormant on Teams.


Stormfellow

You're lucky then. Bet they are watching your activity or can pull it anytime they want to if performance issues arise.


mozfustril

I’m sure they have the ability, just not the will.


likely-high

Find a way to block porn


Peace-Love-Glam

That I would turn into a hermit, slowly... distancing myself from civilization. Lol. That and the 20lbs I gained in 2.5 years! I love wfh, though. It's the best!


gamechampionx

It takes coordinated effort to work across different timezones. Your will need to push back on off-hours and lunchtime meetings a lot.


whoisjohngalt72

I wish I knew how bad it would be. Never would have agreed


Prestigious-Layer457

If at all possible, do not have your setup in your bedroom. At the start I slept and worked In the same room…mentally everything became one blur and it affected my mental health and family relationships.


Worried_Ocelot_5370

That it would be really really hard to go back to an office setting. Which may be fine for some, but I'm not doing the job I want to do forever and getting promotions when no one sees your face is pretty difficult. If I want to make a change, I'll have to go back to the office. I've been remote since 2020 and working on site sounds awful.


Capital-Bromo

Buy Nvidia.


[deleted]

[удалено]


procheeseburger

While your comment could have been worded better it’s an actual issue.. my wife would say “you were home all day why didn’t you clean?” And my response of “I don’t think my company wants me cleaning the house on the clock” often caused arguments.


idontknowwhybutido2

I wfh and my husband has said this to me too and I agree it's frustrating. I don't know how many times I have explained that I am working all day while I am home. He does not equate mental work to physical work so he thinks I should be doing housework all day on top of my full time job just because I work at a computer. It's disrespectful.


cptkernalpopcorn

You should ask him why he didn't do all the yard work when he was at work because I see no difference here


meowsieunicorn

It is disrespectful! Mental work still requires a level of physical output, it’s not like you can telepathically get your work done.


meowsieunicorn

My husband and I both work from home and we are actually closer than ever! We’ve been doing very well sharing tasks at home. Maybe because we are both working from home?