Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, Singapore’s health authorities have gradually been raising the DORSCON level to Orange. Employers have responded with business contingency plans and encouraging employees to work from home.
For employers, maintaining staff productivity while they are working from home is an uphill task. This is because of the myriad of distractions and challenges individual workers face when working from home. To offload some financial tasks, you can scale down your team and outsource to an accounting firm in Singapore with affordable accounting services. At Ackenting Group, our experienced accountants will ensure you receive the best accounting and bookkeeping services possible to keep aligned with your business needs while you remain working from home.
Working from home can be great for your team. But to keep productivity high, they must have a conducive work-from-home environment. Here’s some ideas on how to set one up.
Set up a Dedicated Space
You and your team members need to have a shift in your thinking, and enforce a proper physical location of where you want to work. If you think of doing work and typing away while you are still in bed, chances are high that productivity will plummet. Ask employees to set up dedicated spaces that mimic the work environment to start with.
Having a proper desk and chair is a good start. Ensure the environment is well lit and noises are kept to a minimum to avoid distractions. The key is to make space for their “private workstation,” and use it exclusively for work. Every time they move into this space, it will help them to become psychologically prepared for work.
Nurture a Professional Space
If you are hanging out at the dedicated workspace in your pyjamas, you are likely to remain unproductive. That’s because your body has moved to the workstation, but your mind hasn’t. Staying dressed in your pyjamas can slow down your productivity as it won’t help your mind to shift into work mode.
Be disciplined to avoid going to the workstation while you are still in your pyjamas or anything that you associate with sleep or relaxation. Instead, ensure that the workstation is equipped with work-related stuff like calendars, a computer hooked to high-speed internet, a pen and notebook and other tools used at the office.
Keep Distractions at Bay
Avoiding distractions while working from home is hard but not impossible. Distractions are the bane of productivity. But at home, your kids could be playing nearby or the television is switched on. Minimize distractions by explaining to your family that it’s your private work time. If you can lock the door and place a ‘do not disturb’ sign, it is recommended to help you stay focused. Other kinds of distractions your phone and social media are inevitable, but don’t let them overcome you.
Wake Up and Get ‘Dressed’ for Work
Don’t use the opportunity to work from home as a chance to sleep in. Set an alarm clock, wake up on time, take a shower, don’t linger at the breakfast table and move to your workstation. Put on fresh clothes just as if you are heading for work. It will tune your mind to work mode and set you up for a productive day.
Outsourcing certain functions such as the finance unit to accounting services firms like Ackenting Group can ensure your business operations remain efficient and well-functioning. You can continue to ensure high productivity for your team, and we can keep you up-to-date on the financials with your business.
If you require any assistance on accounting services, feel free to drop us an email at johnwoo@ag-singapore.com or contact us at +65-66358767. At Ackenting Group, we offer a complimentary 30 minutes online consultation for us to better understand your business requirements.
