The rise of remote working: how to do it right

More university graduates are going straight into remote work roles than ever before. In fact, 41% of Australians now work remotely.

David Zago, head of the ABS Head of Household surveys, has stated:

“…most Australians expect work from home arrangement to continue throughout the year”. 

In the past year and a half, folks around the world have figured out that they can do their jobs from the comfort of their home (or local coffee shop), and are choosing not to go back into offices. Increasingly, it appears that the future of work is the hybrid model, even after the effects of the pandemic are no longer felt.

Whether a remote career gets you daydreaming about long lunch breaks and working on beaches or sends you into a spiral of connectivity-issue nightmares, you must plan ahead and take care of the logistics involved in remote working.

Remote working can be incredibly rewarding

While logistical foresight is vital for success while working remotely, it’s worth remembering that remote work can be an incredible experience for a host of reasons:

• You can still create community and find your work bestie by leveraging tech in your favour
• Remote working lets you get your head down and work without workplace distraction
• You spend more time with the people you love (or like, even)
• You save crazy cash on commuting costs
• Taking breaks at home is so much better than gathering at communal coffee pots every morning.

Recent graduates are ready for remote work

This shouldn’t come as a newsflash: if you graduated during the pandemic, you are ready for remote work.

Studying, completing course work, and getting through final exams during the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic means you have built the resilience necessary to make it in the professional world. You are capable of responding to change and can adapt to the demands of professional life.

However, there might be a few changes you need to make when transitioning from remote study to remote working. A few of them are common sense, but many require a little logistical planning and foresight.

Remote working: the small stuff

Get on schedule

You might have a set shift to follow at work. But, if your work is project-oriented, you must set your working hours and stick to them. The best way to create your work schedule is to decide on other activities first. That way, you can see that you’ll need to clock in before 9am if you want to attend that jiu-jitsu class!

Get the right stuff

Hopefully, your place of work provides you with everything you need to do the job. However, it might be up to you to choose where and how you work. If you’re living in a small space, without a dedicated office room, it’s recommended that you set aside at least a corner or table that is used exclusively for work (trust us: you don’t want to do an 8 hour day from your couch).

If your employer doesn’t provide you with the equipment you need, you may be eligible for reimbursements. The Australian Taxation Office offers workers a few different ways to claim for expenses when working from home, and is currently running a “shortcut method” to reimburse you quicker.

Maintain regular contact

Remote work can be lonely if you’re not careful. You can mitigate this loneliness by maintaining regular contact with colleagues and managers.

The extra benefit of regular communication: you get the inside scoop from folks in the know, and might pick up a few tricks that make your job significantly easier.

Taking care of the logistics

Choosing the right home

Roughly 75% of graduates find full-time employment within three months. There are plenty of decisions to make before you start your first job, but, if you know you want to work remotely, you must prioritise space and rooms. Keeping a dedicated office space keeps the rest of your home organised and allows you to pack up and leave work behind for the day.

Set boundaries

Work addiction is a fact of modern life. When working from home, it can be surprisingly tempting to “just read emails”, or “quickly edit the report due tomorrow”.

The reality, however, is that dipping into work on days off or after you’ve clocked out is not productive, and can lead to costly errors. Instead, you are more likely to report exhaustion and feel the effects of long-term chronic stress which can lead to a host of physical and mental issues.

Know your rights

Australian labour laws are there to support you. Depending on the kind of role you’re moving into, you are entitled to certain treatment by your employer (annual leave, overtime, protection from discrimination, etc.).

In a traditional office environment, it might be more obvious when your rights have been violated (or when you just need to chat with a manager about overtime pay). But when working from home, it can be awkward to raise concerns. By brushing up on your rights, you can feel more confident approaching management and sticking up for yourself.

Remote working is a lot of fun but is all founded on responsibility. You no longer have a manager floating next to your shoulder, which means you have to pick up any slack yourself. By getting the logistics in order from day one, you can ensure that the only problems you’re working on are actually work-related.

Featured image courtesy of Pixabay