Working Remotely?
In the wake of the “Stay at Home” orders that some states or communities have issued means that many more people are working remotely. There are some safety protocols that Staying Safe Online is recommending. Plus some experienced Working From Home (WFH) people have offered some advice for working from home.
Staying Safe Online Recommendations
Stay Safe Online has a PDF tipsheet of ways to stay safe while working from home. Click on the link below.
Do These Recommendations Apply to Me?
Some may apply to you and some may not. When I had to work remotely, I logged into the work server from my home computer. I didn’t bring home a work computer. But other people may be bringing home a work computer.
A Separate Wi-fi Network? VPN?
When reading this, it says to have a separate wi-fi network for work stuff. So…not being tech-savvy, I have a question about the separate Wi-Fi Network. Does this mean I need to have a second internet line or what? My line of work previously was accounting. I hard-wired into my internet connection. Using a laptop over a wi-fi connection was not safe. Private company information and personnel information is not something that I trusted over a wi-fi connection.
My 2 tech-savvy go-to people didn’t have an answer. One said that she felt a VPN was more important than a separate Wi-fi network at home. If a tech-savvy person wants to chime in with what this means, please do. Meanwhile, ask your company what THEY want and require. Get it in writing (email will suffice). You don’t want to be responsible for the security of your employer.
Tips From other WFH People
Parsley & Pumpkins
I “met” Mollie a long while ago now when she was doing cooking Periscopes. I learned how to make “Fish en Papillote” from her and Salmon on a wood plank. I was in culinary school at the time and Mollie’s fun, infectious attitude when teaching healthful cooking was just a delight. Oftentimes, Mollie was making something for the first time and it was fun learning right along with her.
Life took a turn for Mollie and she went another direction. She became a Working From Home nutritionist. She now has a business helping women with “female problems,” including infertility, among other nutritional needs. Her website is ParsleyandPumkins.com. This is her recommendation:
Blue Zones Project, Hawaii
I loved this page. Simple. Informative. And some of the same things that helped me when I had a home accounting practice. I didn’t go through the entire site, but I saw some links to other pages that might be helpful.
Tips From NASA Astronauts on Confined Living
What I liked about this article on CNBC were tips from astronauts who spend time in confined spaces talking about the 5 things that help them live together better. Families aren’t used to being together 24/7. These tips might help you learn to live together better.
Expectations
No one expects you to have this all together. This is new to many, many people. Even homeschooling families who now have the breadwinner home will have adjustments. Those who worked from home prior to the Stay at Home Order will have adjustments now that the kids and/or a spouse are home. And if everyone is home and usually you’re all out of the house, life will be really different. Breathe. Take some time together to laugh and do some fun things. Do the best you can. That’s all we can do.
Do Your Best to Create Happiness
My grandfather was a master at finding a silver lining in any “crisis” I would take to him. Then he would say in some way, shape or form, “this, too, will pass.” We will get through this. Let’s just try to make the best of it.
#onlinesafety #VPN #stayingsafeonline #computersafety #workingfromhome #WFH #remotework #workingremotely #coronavirus #covid-19
