The Recycler Issue 331

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Other Considerations
It is not just about the technology,
the reality is the more people you have
working from home the larger the security
risk, your IT team need to know and
manage the risks.
And do not forget confidentiality. It is as
simple as locking your computer when
taking a break and avoiding your plans,
personal information or the company
accounts from being seen by third parties.
Outsource
You can outsource the homeworking
technology if all of this is beyond you (we
did). Companies like UK-based DMC
Canotec have a range of options.
The Employee
So, you have all the technology in place,
but do not forget the employee who is your
most important asset. Employees are the
most important part of your business and
number one priority is for the health and
wellbeing of employees if they are going to
work from home. Here is a quick checklist:
Be aware
Loneliness can be an issue because working
from home can feel unstructured and
isolating. In a 2019 study by online brand
development agency Buffer, they found
that loneliness was the second-most
reported challenge, one experienced by 19%
of respondents.
Ramp up the communications
First off everyone in your team needs to
know what the plan is and what is expected
of them. If they are working from home for
the first time it can be isolating. Make sure
you are in regular contact with everyone.
Set up a short 10 minutes or so start and
end of the day conference call to make sure
everyone is in the picture and are all on
task. The goal is to ensure they valued, and
you empower them to engage and deliver.
Using video calls like Skype and Zoom are
great tools. One firm has set up a Skype
lunch call where everyone comes online,
eats their lunch and keeps up to date with
what’s going on. Just one rule during the
Skype lunch, no work talk.
It is a proper job
It is so tempting to lounge around the
house in your pyjamas, we have all done
it. But you need to ensure everyone
understands Rule #1: When working from
home treat it like the job it is. Get up, have
a shower and get dressed and you can face
the world. There really is nothing worse
that someone taking a Skype call and you
see yourself on screen and you are not ready
to face the world, or your other remote
working colleagues.
Work is work and home life is home life,
but it is so easy for the two to cross over.
As a leader your role is to keep them
motivated. If they have domestic chores
or issues, make time for them to be
accomplished in a structured way. While
the office environment might be 9-5, it
doesn’t follow that all tasks have to be done
by 5pm. They just need to be done. Suggest
that instead of getting everything done by
5pm, it is done for 9am the next day. Then
there is harmony between the home and
work conundrum.
The off switch
Encourage your staff to turn the laptop and
company phone off at the end of the day
and transition out of work mode into home
mode. If your staff are self-isolating, they
can not go for a walk or a run, but there is a
wealth of advice on the internet about how
to relax. Me, I go and visit Nick, or
“Nasty Nick” as I call him. Nick is a 200
kilo running machine and a quick 15
minute workout is great to turn work off
and home on. ■
Unused and unwanted
empty cartridges?
OHANA
TECHNOLOGY
We can solve your problem. It is a 3 step process:
1. 2. 3.
Contact us to arrange
delivery, either by phone
or email.
We sort your cartridges, extracting
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* Cartridges of value will be sold on your behalf
through our global network.
Settle up with you and send
you all the waste transfer
documents for your records.
To find out more, call Terry Bridgeman on +44 1328 633013, or email him at info@ohanatl.com
Issue 331
June 2020
35