Teleworking: Tips to Improve your Work Environment at Home

Remote work is not something new, but the truth is that the pandemic was a great boost for more and more companies to give it the opportunity. Like any activity, this entails advantages and disadvantages, which is why the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization have given a series of recommendations, in a recently released report, so that, in addition to being productive, the teleworking environment is also productive and safe for employees.

Protecting physical and mental health at home

There is a very relevant point in all this growing dynamic of teleworking: it is a normality that is constantly changing and that has not yet been consolidated into a “final state”. Thus, as Vera Package-Perdigão, Director of the ILO’s Governance and Tripartism Department, points out, it is the perfect time to incorporate what is necessary to guarantee decent and healthy work for millions of people in the world.

Remote work offers advantages that have a direct impact on physical health: being able to sleep longer and avoid road congestion, whether in your own car or on public transport, allows you to have time that can be invested in physical activity and in improving food habits. Mental health should not be neglected, sleeping and eating healthy have an impact on people’s sense of well-being, which in turn allows them to better carry out their work activities.

However, this type of work also represents several risks if the corresponding measures are not taken because, unlike in the office, for example, the chairs, desks and height of the computer may not be correct, a fact that can impact generating injuries. Similarly, if there is no clear division between work hours and personal life, there can be an emotional drain that will damage mental health. Exhaustion, stress and problems in the personal relationships of those who live in the same household can occur in this context.

How do I improve my work environment at home?

In the physical aspect it is important to have an adequate space for work, if you have the possibility of allocating a place as an “office” it would be ideal. This will allow you to have privacy if you live with more people, especially children. It also allows you to control the noise level, ventilation and select the correct furniture for your work. Ergonomics are important, having a chair and desk that can fit you will reduce the chance of injury from poor posture and long periods in the seat. The challenge is to go from an improvised space to one designed to work comfortably.

Of course, we do not always have a space that can be an office, however ergonomics should not be a negotiable issue. Your seating position, height, the position of your hands in front of the computer, the tilt of your head and taking breaks all have an impact.

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Try to follow a routine as if you were in face-to-face work, that is, even if you sleep more now, you must set times to get up, take a shower, have breakfast and do your pre-work activities such as exercise. Similarly, at the end of your working day, disconnect from work and return to your personal life: read, hang out, watch an episode of your favorite series. The division between your work and personal life is essential.

Do not forget your labor rights even if you are at home

The ILO and the WHO are clear, the success of teleworking depends on the Government and companies. Their role is to provide the conditions so that the worker can perform their work correctly regardless of whether they are in person or remotely. In Latin America, the laws that regulate remote work are not new, but the challenges brought by the pandemic forced them to be modernized considering the new reality. Do not forget that you have rights, find out what the law in your country establishes so that you do not assume costs that do not correspond to you if this is the case. Here are three different examples:

Mexico: Just over a year ago, the reform to art. 311 of its labor law, it stipulates that the company is responsible for providing the necessary equipment for work: chair, desk, printer, computer, etc., paying for the communication service and even part of the electricity in the worker’s home, as announced by the Mexican government. In addition, the employee has the right to disconnection once his shift is over.

Colombia: In 2020, more than 209,000 Colombians were telecommuting, according to the Ministry of ICT. In this country there is a law that regulates it since 2008, the ministry in charge of the subject offers advice to companies to implement this type of work. Article 6, paragraph 7 establishes that employers will be responsible for providing equipment, programs, travel and the cost of the energy necessary to perform work, measures similar to those adopted by many countries in the world.

Brazil: According to the Brazilian government, more than 350,000 workers carried out their work remotely due to the pandemic, including the public sector. For the latter, Normative Instruction 65 on teleworking was published in 2020, which establishes in its article 23 that it is the responsibility of the worker who has chosen the remote modality to bear the costs of equipment, energy and communications to carry out their work.