Working from home? Ask your boss these 5 things
Working from home is something many of us are used to. And since the pandemic, many of us have never returned to the daily commute.
But employers don’t always pay the same attention to your home set-up as they do to the main office. That means that too many of remote workers are struggling with unsuitable tools and equipment. Worse still, if your company isn’t on top of its IT security, they could be opening the front door of your home to some pretty nasty cyber criminals.
So to make life better for remote workers we’ve come up with the essential questions you need to ask your boss.
Here are the top five:
1. Why am I using my personal email?
For your security, as well as the company’s, your employer should always give you a business email account. It’s more professional, especially if you’re talking to customers, and it means that you can’t accidentally share company information with the wrong people. There’s more protection against cyber attacks than you get with your personal email. And it will also stop your private account being flooded with work messages.
2. Who’s that new guy?
It’s easy to feel disconnected from the team when you’re not in the office. Do you have a regular video call catch-up so you know who everyone is and what they do? It’s great for you to feel part of a motivated team, but it’s even better for the company to have people that work closely with each other – even when they’re not in the same building.
3. Why am I paying your phone bill?
If you’re using your own devices – your phone, your personal laptop – do you have an allowance to cover you for the expense? Is there other equipment that would help you work better?
And what if things go wrong? What if your laptop became infected with a virus because IT security isn’t strong enough? Who do you call for support? Your employer should have a policy in place for all these things – it protects you as well as them.
4. How protected am I?
A lot of businesses don’t do enough to keep their information safe and their systems secure. So if you’re connecting from home, are you sure that your own personal data is being looked after?
If you’re accessing your company server through your home broadband, you need to know two things: Is the company protected against cyber attacks that could enter your home via its network? And has your employer made sure that you can’t accidentally expose them to an attack because your home network isn’t secure (are the kids downloading games and videos from who-knows-where?)
5. What’s my next job?
Are your work objectives clear? How does your employer communicate with you? And which communication channels work best? Do you have a shared chat space where you can focus on your project, and another for the office gossip? Are objectives shared efficiently or are you drowning in so many messages that useful information gets lost?
When you’re a remote worker, good systems, up-to-date equipment, and clear processes for communicating make a huge positive difference. So if you’re working from home and you’re feeling a bit lost and abandoned, talk to your employer – there might be some really simple things they can do to make life better for everyone.
