Staying connected: Working from home benefits and challenges
 

[April 03, 2020]   With numerous businesses asking their employees to work from home during the shelter in place, many questions may come to mind. When does work start? Who monitors my breaks? What kind of schedule should I keep? What are the side benefits you expect from work? How do I prove to my boss that I am working if my boss cannot see me working hard? How do I know my boss believes I am doing work?

For many, teams and collaboration allow for more accountability, encouragement and possibly even productivity.

Caterpillar employee Amber Brainard said, “I try to step away from my computer for a short lunchtime midday so that I am not at the screen the entire day.”

Brainard has been trying to get on the treadmill to walk after work, "since I am not getting much activity during the day."

When there is a need to videoconference, she uses Microsoft Teams. Brainard said, “I like it better than some of the others too because of how it tiles the video screens making it easier to see everyone.” She said it is kind of like the Brady Brunch [at the beginning of each show].

As a self-described “super social person” Brainard said, “I miss being able to just walk over to people’s desks and see how they are doing. I miss cafeteria small talk."

Additionally, Brainard said, “I used to see so many people in my wing that I don’t work with on a daily basis, so I would talk to them and see how they were.”

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Brainard said, “Now my interaction is primarily limited to the people I work with each day, so there’s a bunch of people that I’m not really interacting with at all right now. I get excited for meetings because I know I get to interact with people.”

Apps like Microsoft Teams help Brainard to stay connected to coworkers through chats and collaboration. Brainard said previously people would leave the video off, but more and more are using it so they can see one another, which she too enjoys. Brainard said Microsoft Teams has “a great background blur feature so you can blur out your messy room behind you but still allow your team to see you.”

Microsoft Teams and other apps are keeping employees connected even as they work remotely.

[Angela Reiners]

Related links

Microsoft Teams
https://products.office.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/download-app