For staff whose jobs are telework-eligible, remote work has become commonplace. Besides the time and gas cost savings, many staff find that working from home means fewer distractions, with increased productivity and work quality. But there are some disadvantages to teleworking. Some staff find they work too long, letting their work day run into personal time. Others find themselves feeling disconnected from colleagues in spite of an abundance of Zoom meetings. And most of us know that feeling of frustration that comes from trying unsuccessfully to reach a colleague who’s working remotely.
To help keep telework on track and successful for all, it's important to be sure you're staying connected while working remotely. Try our top 3 tips for staying connected:
- Notify your supervisors, coworkers, and customers where and when you will be working. It’s crucial to let people know how to reach you and when you are available for meetings and calls. Learn how to set work hours and location on your Google Calendar.
- Use instant messaging for quick questions and answers. Google Chat is a great tool for asking a quick question. Make sure you’ve got notifications turned on to be sure you don’t miss a message. You can also customize notifications to alert you to messages from specific people. Learn how to customize notifications in Google Chat.
- Be available and responsive during work hours. Answer calls and respond to messages and emails promptly. Did you know you can forward your office phone to ring on your cell phone? Learn how to forward calls from a Cisco phone.