16 Etiquette Tips For Those Who Work From Home

Despite the fact that a lot of people work from home these days, there are still a lot of misconceptions about those who do. For example, many people think that working from home means you can enjoy your pajamas all day (or just be in your underwear), spend a lot of time on social media, or ignore any and all communication with coworkers or clients.

But this is obviously not true. Working from home often requires just as much discipline as going into an office if not more. And it’s important to remember that we represent our companies in everything we do online. We should uphold good etiquette no matter where we are. So how can folks make sure they’re representing themselves and their companies well? It comes down to having good etiquette. Here are some rules to follow:

Work Place Etiquette – 16 Practical Tips

Takeaways
Set clear boundaries to separate work and personal life.
Establish a designated workspace for optimal productivity.
Communicate effectively and proactively with colleagues.
Practice proper virtual meeting etiquette.
Be mindful of others’ time and availability.
Dress professionally even when working from home.
Minimize distractions and create a focused work environment.
Take regular breaks to rest and recharge.
Set realistic goals and prioritize tasks effectively.
Maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Practice good email and digital communication etiquette.
Be respectful and considerate in virtual collaboration.
Stay organized with effective task and time management strategies.
Foster a positive and supportive remote work culture.
Adapt and learn from the challenges of remote work.
Continuously improve and refine your remote work practices.
Embrace flexibility and embrace the benefits of remote work.

Table of Contents

1. Avoid Distractions While You’re On A Business Call

This is pretty straightforward, but we’ll say it anyway: Don’t let your dog bark in the background! Or start yapping at the UPS guy. No eating or drinking on the call (unless you want to be known as that person who slurps through every meeting). And try not to make other people in your house aware of your call, no boisterous conversations with family members or loud sounds from outside distractions, like lawnmowers.

Also don’t play music too loud so that it’s distracting for everyone else on the call. This might seem like a no-brainer, but we’ve all been there: Letting these calls go to voicemail can come across as unprofessional and rude to clients and colleagues especially if everyone else is already in the meeting and waiting for you to dial in.

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2. Be Flexible With Your Time

While working from home definitely comes with an influx of perks, it also brings its fair share of challenges. For example, that pile of dirty laundry won’t do itself.And you’re suddenly reminded how much you enjoy the sound of your neighbor’s dog barking at nothing for hours on end. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about working from home over the years, it’s this: flexibility is the name of the game. It’s not always easy to be flexible, and I constantly have to remind myself to get out of my own way when it comes to self-imposed restrictions and rigid deadlines.

As tempting as it may be to set a firm schedule for yourself and stick to it like glue, trust me when I say that being flexible will serve you far better in the long run. Whether you’re trying to juggle a side project while also holding down a full-time job or running your own business with no one else but your pet goldfish (who doesn’t even offer feedback on your work), being able to shift gears at a moment’s notice is key. But don’t take this advice too far if you let your work slide just because “you work from home,” then all bets are off!

If you’re struggling with balancing time management while working from home, try taking stock of what tasks typically take priority and then rearranging them accordingly. You’d be surprised how much more efficient you can become once you start thinking outside of the box! And if all else fails, ask for help.

3. Make Yourself Comfortable At Home

If you’re going to be working from home for a long time, it’s important that your body feels just as comfortable as the rest of you does. If you don’t have a desk or chair at home, now is the time to purchase one that allows you to sit up straight with good posture.

Make sure your desk and chair are comfortable, and that you have enough space around it to get up and walk around when needed. You might invest in an adjustable-height desk if you’re short or tall, so that your elbows can stay bent at a 90-degree angle when typing on the keyboard. Remember: Your environment is just as important as your mental state!

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4. Get Enough Sleep To Perform At Your Peak

Don’t get caught up in the unhelpful narratives that people who work from home do nothing all day or that you can sleep late because your boss isn’t right down the hall. You should still expect to perform at your best. One way to do this is to make sure you are getting enough sleep, which varies from person-to-person.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7–9 hours of sleep each night for adults, with some needing less and others needing more. If you are struggling to get a good night’s rest, consider other strategies like avoiding electronics for an hour before bedtime and going for a walk after dinner.

There are plenty of other tips on how to get enough sleep too. If you find it hard to wind down at night, avoid caffeine later in the day, which can linger in your system for up to 12 hours after consumption. Instead, try some tea or decaf coffee as a bedtime routine instead of drinking wine which is also okay sometimes.

5. Keep Your Workspace Clean And Organized

You’ve probably heard the saying “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” This phrase was first recorded in a sermon by John Wesley, a British religious leader and theologian. But though he didn’t invent the phrase, he certainly popularized it. It’s since been used as an admonition for people to keep their spirits pure while keeping their physical spaces clean. In other words, being clean is one of many ways you can be closer to God.

But what does that have to do with working remotely?

Well, we’re glad you asked; People who work from home might not want to create such strong associations between their workspace and divine piety but there is a reason why people say that “cleanliness is next to godliness.” When your space is untidy, unorganized, or unclean (physically or spiritually), it’s difficult for us humans to focus.

The best way we can enhance productivity and efficiency in a remote workplace isn’t by praying more (though there’s nothing wrong with that), but rather adopting habits that help us organize our time and our thoughts. Cleaning your workspace every day will go a long way towards helping you stay focused on work-related tasks during working hours

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6. Don’t Break A Promise Without A Valid Reason

If you make a promise, keep it. If you can’t keep it because of unforeseen circumstances beyond your control, explain why in detail and offer an alternative that is just as good or better than the original promise made.

If you make a mistake, own it and don’t blame others or make excuses as to why you couldn’t keep your promise. Your teammate will understand if there’s an emergency or some disaster occurred that was beyond your ability to predict and are willing to sacrifice their time for the project if they see that you’re being honest about your inability to meet the deadline.

7. Celebrate Your Successes

With no colleagues to celebrate each time a project is completed, it can be easy for remote workers to feel like they’re on their own. Instead of succumbing to feelings of isolation, you should set aside time every day or week to congratulate yourself for the progress you’ve made. Maybe grab a massage from your personal masseuse? Or order yourself some new clothes or shoes to show off at the next company happy hour?

When something isn’t working, sometimes it can be helpful to step back, evaluate whether there are other ways that you could approach the task differently, and then try again. If you were working in an office with colleagues around you and they came up with ideas that didn’t work initially either but helped everyone move forward later on, it would be easier to stay positive about trying again. You might even get excited about trying something a little different this time around!

8. Keep In Touch With Others When You’re Feeling Lonely Or Bored

Join a community for telecommuters. This is a great way to learn how others cope with the challenges that come along with working from home. Chances are, you’re not the only one who’s feeling lonely or bored, so use your community as an outlet by sharing your experiences and listening to the experiences of others.

Learn how to connect with colleagues through email, instant messaging and other tools. When you work from home, you may find that it can be difficult to stay connected to coworkers and managers. If you’re having trouble communicating effectively with members of your team because they don’t know what you’re working on and whether or not you need help or guidance, try setting up regular meetings via Skype or Google Hangouts where everyone can say hello and check in on each other’s progress.

Use social media as a way to stay connected with friends. It’s easy for people who work from home all day long without any human interaction at all (like myself) to become isolated and lonely but it doesn’t have to be that way! There are plenty of great ways for remote employees (and anyone else!) To stay connected using social media sites like Facebook And Twitter As well as video chat apps like Skype Or Google Hangouts

9. Have A Reliable Internet Connection

You might be lucky enough to have a home with Wi-Fi throughout, but if you’re like most people, your router is located in one spot that may not be ideal for your work space. Be sure your computer has the best possible connection to the Wi-Fi when you’re working so you don’t miss important meetings or calls due to connectivity issues.

If you live in a sprawling home with thick walls, consider moving into an office closer to the router or investing in a Wi-Fi extender that can help expand your connectivity range and define which areas are used for work purposes only.

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10. Know What To Do When Someone Barges Into Your House During Business Hours

In addition to keeping your workspace tidy, remember that you’re still at work, even if you’re technically in your home. If you have children, schedule their playdates and piano lessons accordingly so they won’t be barging in while you’re on an important conference call. If others live with you, make sure they know that whilst working from home, you’re still on the clock and will need some peace and quiet throughout the day.

11. Protect Your Health And Happiness By Making Time For Exercise And Socializing

As someone who works from home full-time, I can tell you that one of the biggest mistakes people make is not making time for exercise and socializing. As a result, they suffer from many health issues like depression and weight gain. Similarly, they are less happy.

Because I have personal experience with this subject, one common question people ask me is how to find time for exercise and socializing when working from home. It’s a great question. And I always give them the same answer: Lace up your running shoes or put on your favorite pair of shoes (or both) and go outside. Getting out of your house will make you feel recharged.

12. Plan Ahead For Vacations And Other Events That May Require You To Miss Work

It’s easy to take a day off (or a week off) when you work from home. But it’s important to give your employer plenty of notice before taking time off, especially if the time away will affect your ability to meet deadlines. Plan ahead for vacations and other events that may require you to miss work. Make sure you complete all of your assigned tasks before leaving, and coordinate with any colleagues who might need information from you while you’re out of pocket.

Make sure the team is clear on what needs to be done while you’re gone, and who is responsible for completing each task or making important decisions in your absence. If there’s an emergency while you’re gone, make sure that communication channels are open so that others can reach out with questions and requests.

13. Take Extra Care To Secure Client Information Because You Won’t Have The Benefit Of An Office Firewall

It may seem obvious, but with the convenience of working from home comes the potential for information to fall into the wrong hands. While working from an office does not guarantee complete data protection (look no further than the massive hacking at Target in 2013), there is an extra layer of security that comes with working in a centrally managed system. When you’re at home, you’re responsible for protecting yourself and your clients’ information. The following tips can help ensure that your information is protected:

Don’t use work computers or phones for personal business, and don’t use personal computers or phones for work business. Since many employees will be tempted to use their work computers to check on their social media accounts or make purchases online, it’s important to set boundaries between what’s professional and what’s not.

Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network). A VPN acts as a secure tunnel between your computer and the website you are visiting, encrypting all of the data that passes through it. This means that even if someone were to hack your network or tap into Wi-Fi connection at Starbucks, they wouldn’t be able to see any of the traffic passing through your computer because it would be encrypted and inaccessible without a decryption key.

Don’t leave sensitive documents out where others can see them; If you receive important documents via email instead of snail mail, don’t save them in plain text format on your local drive, instead transfer them securely onto a USB drive before leaving them lying around where prying eyes might find them.

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14. Avoid Eating Lunch In Front Of A Client Or Coworker Who’s Visiting Your Home

This is a bit more tricky. If you’re meeting with a client or coworker and it’s lunch time, but you don’t want to leave your home office, ask them if they’d like to go out to eat. If they’d prefer to eat at your place, offer them food (if you have it). You can also offer to eat with them (again, if you have any food that can be shared) or ask them if they want you to eat first before eating yourself.

15. Work At Least Part Of The Day In Your Pajamas, Unless You Have An Important Meeting That Requires Real-Person Attire

This is a bit of a tough one. While dressing up should be avoided, it’s also important to keep in mind that sometimes you will have to wear real clothes, such as when you need to meet with clients or even just leave the house for an appointment.

However, this does not mean that working from home automatically means you should wear anything other than your pajamas! In fact, it means exactly the opposite. Knowing that you’re going to be working from home on any given day gives you the freedom to dress how you like (unless someone else is coming over). So feel free to take advantage of this opportunity and stay in your pajamas all day long.

16. Have Proper Phone Etiquette At All Times, Whether It’s With A Client Or A Colleague

Proper phone etiquette is a must when working from home. Your colleague or client can’t see you, so the way you speak is all they have to judge professionalism. You should always introduce yourself and your company when receiving a phone call, and be sure to ask if it’s a good time before beginning a conversation.

While in the middle of a conversation, make every effort to remove distracting background noise. According to writer Alyson Shontell, “the biggest faux pas I’ve made on conference calls is tapping my keyboard too much, which comes through as loud clacking on other people’s end.” If possible, use speakerphone so you won’t have to worry about holding onto it while trying to multitask.

If the other person on the line can’t hear you well or sounds like they’re in an echo chamber, try asking them if they’d like to call you back at another time or on another day. It may sound silly at first but think about how much work time gets lost by not being able to understand each other over the phone for hours at a time.

Wrapping Up

Working from home is a great way to save money and increase productivity, but it can be challenging when you have a household full of interruptions and distractions. By following these basic etiquette principles, you’ll find it much easier to maintain your focus and get your work done while keeping everyone happy.