Thanks to the proliferation of some pretty amazing technology, more and more employees are working from home. As FlexJobs.com notes, 3.9 employees in the U.S. work from home at least half of the time, and 43 percent now work remotely at least occasionally.
As more people work remotely, often from home offices, it is important to know how to keep yourself and your work environment as safe as possible. While brick-and-mortar companies often have safety and security plans in place, freelancers and others should take their own steps to keep office tech and themselves safe.
In order to boost the safety of the home office, consider the following actionable tips:
Install a home security system with remote connectivity
Your home office likely contains some expensive technology, including a laptop or desktop PC, printer and smartphone. You may also have supplies in your home office. For instance, if you are a freelance photographer, you probably have a state-of-the-art camera, tripod and other equipment kept in your home. In order to keep these investments as safe as possible, consider buying and installing a security camera system. For instance, Lorex Technology offers a wide selection of security camera systems that are ideal for any home; their eight-channel system with four wireless security cameras means that you do not have to run any video cables through your house. Also, thanks to the Lorex Cloud remote connectivity feature, the wireless systems use a DV900 Series DVR, which will let you see what your cameras or the recorded playback is capturing from anywhere in the world. If you are meeting with clients at a remote location, you can check out the camera footage with the app and also get push notifications for any motion activity caught by the cameras while you were away.
Keep your home office as clutter-free and ergonomically safe as you can
At-home offices should be designed with safety in mind. Since your boss won’t be checking out your desk, floors and file cabinets to make sure everything is trip- and hazard-free — like she would in the brick-and-mortar office, the onus is on you to maintain a safe working space. Looking for a good place to buy office supplies? Check out https://www.officemonster.co.uk/
Telework.gov posted a helpful list of tips to help keep your home workspace as safe as possible; they include:
· Making sure your home office floor is clear and free from hazards like piles of materials or boxes
· Your file drawers are not top heavy
· Any cords are not stretched across the floor to the outlets
· Your chair is adjustable and provides adequate support
· That you have enough lighting to see your computer and other materials
Protect your data
The same amazing tech that lets us work from home does come with a downside: an increased risk of unsecured files and servers. While your friends who work in a regular office building are under the umbrella of an IT department, your home office is probably not set up that way. As SkySite.com notes, to keep your data safe in your home office, start by protecting your files with complex passwords. Next, be vigilant about installing updates so you can always have the latest version of your malware and/or virus program, and whenever possible use two-step verification for your accounts.
Working from home can be enjoyable, productive and safe
There are a number of benefits to working remotely — everything from setting your own hours to avoiding a long commute. Thanks to the tips above, your home office can not only be a place to earn an income, it can also be a safe and secure environment that will help you to perform at your best every day.
