{"id":59521,"date":"2020-03-12T20:08:46","date_gmt":"2020-03-13T01:08:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/?p=59521"},"modified":"2020-05-04T15:40:46","modified_gmt":"2020-05-04T20:40:46","slug":"what-you-need-and-need-to-know-to-work-from-home-successfully","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/59521-what-you-need-and-need-to-know-to-work-from-home-successfully\/","title":{"rendered":"What You Need (And Need to Know) to Work From Home Successfully"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Picture<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I’m working from home today. It doesn’t have anything to do with the coronavirus; it just so happens that I wasn’t planning on going into the office. But it is becoming evident that more and more people are going to be working from home in the coming days and weeks. And that is a good thing because of the rapidly developing concerns regarding the viral outbreak we are all having to deal with right now. Perhaps you have been asked to work from home, or you are wise to self-quarantine for a while. If so, let’s talk about what that may look like and what you will need\u2014and need to know\u2014to be successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working From Home (WFH)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With companies like Google asking its employees to WFH for the next month if their role allows, and Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, and dozens of other large companies encouraging the same, it is worth talking about what this looks like. The NBA has suspended the season, states are declaring states of emergency, and major conferences and tradeshows such as\u00a0South by Southwest<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0NAB<\/a>\u00a0have canceled or postponed their gatherings, all in an attempt to control how fast the virus is spreading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OWC is in the process of assessing how we can best equip our employees should they need to refrain from traveling to the office. Indeed, some people have jobs that require them to be on-site, such as those in our packing and shipping department. There are others (like me) who are already set up and running and need no further help. And there are still others, like our incredible Customer Service team, that have a different set of tech needs that are currently being put into place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can\u2019t attest to how other companies are preparing their employees, but I can share how we are addressing our needs. I blasted the word out to my teammates, our Rocket Yard bloggers, our IT department head, and many others, asking them to share their thoughts on what might be needed to execute their job duties from home successfully. I\u2019ve aggregated many of their ideas, and though it\u2019s not a comprehensive list, perhaps there are a few things that will be helpful. Some may be obvious, others, not-so-much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t Panic, Prepare<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Though not the point of this article, I would feel somewhat negligent were I to not begin with a quick PSA. The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 a global pandemic<\/a>. The White House has imposed a travel ban<\/a> from Europe. The Dow closed down 9.99% today. But the most important thing to remember is this: Don’t panic, prepare<\/strong>. Don’t hoard toilet paper and hand sanitizer, but position yourself to be ready to limit unnecessary travel and avoid large gatherings. And if you are able, work from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that we got that out of the way let\u2019s look at what it might take to successfully execute your job duties when you are away from the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What You Need to Work From Home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A Home<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sorry, I couldn’t resist starting with that bit of levity. My co-worker, Steve, took no time answering me when I asked what he would put on a list of things needed to WFH. Bad dad joke, but good timing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Computer (or Two)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Macbook<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This goes without saying, but you need a decent machine<\/a> if you are going to be doing any decent work. If you are lucky enough already to have a laptop as your primary computer at work, this shouldn\u2019t be an issue. However, if you are on a desktop, this could present a problem \u2013 especially if there are any specialized software needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two or more Macs, consisting of a primary work computer and one that can be used as a backup in case the primary Mac fails, is preferable if possible. When working from home, you probably will not have the luxury of being able to wait on repairs or delivery times for a replacement computer. A MacBook Pro can be the primary or secondary computer. It\u2019s suitable for work and can be used if Internet access is unreliable, and you need to find alternate connectivity somewhere else, to send completed work, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many OWCers are mobile already, but for those who aren’t, IT is supplying them with computers, monitors, IP phones, and any other needed equipment. If your employer doesn’t provide options, check out the OWC Laptop Center<\/a> or our selection of new and used Macs<\/a> for some of the best deals around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Gear<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"OWC<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n