Six months and counting for working at home

 It is almost six months now for working at home and a few things I have learned about having to work at home.

• A separate room that is dedicated to working at home is necessary.  If you have the space then do this.  I had to work in the living room several times this year due to electrical issues and it wasn't the most comfortable spot for extended work due to the chair I had to use and distractions.
• A great chair.  I was lucky in that I purchased a great chair as I do work in the evenings and weekends at least once a month.
• A decent desk for the laptop.  It doesn't have to be expensive, but, a keyboard tray big enough to hold a good keyboard and a mouse.
• Lighting!  I have a task lamp beside the work machine and personal machine.  Both are adjustable so I can move them to highlight what I am working on.  The bulb wattage and colour was important too.  I found that warmer colour and lower wattage bulbs are actually easier on my eyes rather than a white light with the maximum wattage the lamp can take.  I went through about four different bulbs before I found what is comfortable for me.
• Location of the laptop matters too.  I have both machines placed where the office window doesn't shine directly on them.  Glare is a problem and location is critical.  I also have blinds and curtains so I can adjust the light levels during sunny days (my office has a south facing window).
• A great monitor attached to the laptops.  If I have to work for hours I want a large & clear screen for work.  I tried for a couple of months using the screen with the laptop and while it is fine after a few hours each day my eyes felt tired.
• Don't skimp on the keyboard or mouse.  I have to use wired keyboards and mice for the work machine as they don't allow wireless devices connected. I took time at Staples with various models seeing how the mouse fits in the hand and the keyboards for how they felt before buying.
• Printer and scanners.
• I am probably outside of the normal with what I have.  I have a flatbed scanner for over-sized prints, negatives and slides and document scanner for bulk photo/document scanning.  I do a lot of work scanning documents and photos for my archive of family documents/photos (over 25k images so far and at least 5k more to scan).
• I prefer a separate scanner rather than an all-in-one device.  For an all-in-one if one part breaks (or runs out of ink) the whole device is broken.
• We also have a laser printer and inkjet.  The monochrome laser is cheaper per page for simple stuff and the inkjet is used only for pictures or documents that we need colour for.  One other feature is duplex printing.  A printer that can do that doesn't cost much more and you quickly save paper costs.
• If you do buy an inkjet look for one with jumbo tanks that can be refilled or separate colour cartridges.  Our previous printer was all-in-one colour and that was rather expensive when just one colour ran out and we had to replace the cartridge.  Also, check the price of the cartridges as some printers are very expensive.  Personal preference here is Brother as they work well, easy to connect and cartridges don't cost a lot.
• The work laptop I use only for work related tasks!  If I have to do personal tasks I go to the other side of the office and use my personal laptop.
• Telephones with a hands free and mute option.  I spend a lot of time on the phone and being able to go hands free is a matter of comfort as after fifteen minutes it gets tiring holding the telephone, especially if I have to work on the computer at the same time.  For conference calls being able to go to mute helps so the noise doesn't bother others on the call.  I have a wired phone and wireless.  Most of the time I use the wireless model, but, if the conference calls last more than an hour I use the wired phone.
• For my network I have a DLINK router and I set up three SSIDs.  One is for personal, one for guests and one for work.  I have it set so that NO ONE can see what is running outside of that SSID. I also used the QoS option to give priority to the work machine.
• A coffee maker is a must for me in the office.  I like being able to quickly make a cup of coffee or tea without having to travel downstairs to the coffee maker there.  I have a Tassimo so I make just a single cup.  It is also on top of an inexpensive mini fridge where I can store my lunch and snacks.
• Shelving unit dedicated to work.  I store all my office supplies and books there.  I can keep track of what I use for work and keep it separate from what I use personally.

I treat working at home as if I am actually commuting to work.  I wake up at the same time as before (05:30), have my breakfast, make lunches, shower & shave and I dress as if I am going to work.  I start at the same time at home as if I was working at the office.  The wife also knows that when I am in the office I am not to be disturbed, especially if the door is closed as that indicates that I am on a conference call.  

Once I finish work for the day I turn off the work machine most of the time so I get time away to unwind.  I don't do that all the time, but, that is usually when something is being updated in the system or there is special processing and I will have the machine running in case of an emergency.

Week 8 of working at home

I am one of the lucky ones in that I have a job and that I can work at home via VPN.  There are a number of things that makes it work for me.

• A bedroom was redone some time ago as an office when our youngest moved out on her own.  This gives me a room that is dedicated as an office when I am working at home and the wife knows when I am in there to treat it as my work office.  The cat still doesn't get it when the door is closed and it will swat the door and call out to be let in.
• A good cordless phone.  It has a number of options like speaker phone so I can go hands free.  Two cordless phones are up here so that when one does run out of battery I can continue on the conference call.  The only downside to these phones as it does not support plugging in the hands free set so I have to put it on speaker phone.  I have an older phone hooked in that isn't cordless in case both phones run out of power.
• Cell phone.  I controlled who got my number and it is only members of the team and my bosses.  It does get used as there are days I am in conference calls and the team needs to contact me.  It also has WhatsApp for quick messaging for the team.
• A great chair.  If I have to work all day (with breaks to get up and move) a comfortable chair is a must.  The only downside of this one is that it is leather and it gets very hot after twenty to thirty minutes.  Upside of that is that it forces me to get up and move.
• A good table for the work laptop.  It is a must for me to have a dedicated table with the work machine so that it is physically separate from my personal machines.  Tables are not that expensive, I think I paid maybe $100 (Canadian) for the table.  It has a lower shelf where I can also store the work briefcase.
• Shelving to store materials needed for work.  You don't need to go overboard here.  I picked up an inexpensive wire shelving unit from Canadian Tire.  Pens, pencils, notepads, paper supplies and reference materials right beside the work desk.
• Lock for the laptop.  Just because it is at home doesn't mean you leave the machine unlocked.  Thieves can still take the machine if they want, but why make it easy for them.
• Good inexpensive printers.  I am lucky that I have both a laser and inkjet.  I use the laser for anything that is black and white as it is cheaper per page and it also supports duplex printing.  The Inkjet also has a scan option so I can scan documents for work.  I picked the Brother printer as the cartridges have a decent life (several hundred pages) and are inexpensive ($7 to $13 per cartridge).
• If I have a lot of scanning I have a document scanner hooked to my home machine.  It will handle a dozen or so pages at a time and is quick.  Epson makes a nice wireless model, runs fast and wasn't that expensive (around $300).
• Coffee machine.  With working at home I am drinking a lot more coffee and tea.  The brand depends on your personal preference.  For me as long as it works is good enough for me.
• Good task light.  The one I am using was a gift and is excellent.  It can swivel around to illuminate whatever I need to see.  The second lamp is beside my personal machine and throws off enough light so I can see and doesn't glare on the monitor.  Placement helped on the personal lamp as I moved the monitor and light so that the light is to the side and behind the monitor.
• Outside illumination.  I face south so the sun during the day can be an issue.  Blinds and drapes help with that and minimize glare and eye strain.
• Good monitors.  I have a 32 inch monitor hooked up to the personal laptop, unfortunately work does not allow us to look up anything that wasn't from DND so I am forced to use the laptop screen.  If work allows you to add an external monitor it really helps.

Every workday I follow the same routine as if I was traveling to the office for work. 

• Alarm clock is set to the same time before having to work at home.  
• I eat, shower, shave and dress as if I am going to work.  
• I start an hour earlier as I don't have to commute via public transit.
• The only difference is when I log in I check the network status and send an update that I am online, network is good, I have access to the mainframe, collaboration tools, office suite, email and everyone at home is healthy.  
• When it is lunch hour I lock the work machine and have lunch away from the work machine.  
• At the end of the workday I make sure that the daily tasks scheduled have been completed, email any updates to the team and then log out of the VPN and shut down the mail and any office applications that are open.  It is tempting to keep on working, but, I need time away from 'work' to rest and recover.

Some semi-random ramblings and observations on COVID.

There are others who are more articulate than me, but, here are a few things in my not-so-humble-opinion.

First I hear 'it is just like the flu'.  It isn't 'just like the flu'.  Seventeen years ago I had the misfortune to have influenza several days before I was scheduled to get my annual flu shot.  High fever, aches and pain and then the cough developed.  It turned out I picked up a major lung infection because of 'it is just the flu'.  The doctor prescribed a pain killer because I was coughing so hard every muscle in my chested was sore and tired.  Antibiotics for the infection.  Bronchial-dilator so I could breath and the last medicine was to help with the coughing.  The lung infection made it feel like I was drowning and I was lucky I didn't have to go to the hospital.  In total it took six weeks off work before I was able to go back and for weeks after that I was easily tired.  Ever since I have a cough that I cannot get rid of.  Part of the six weeks was Christmas and I don't remember celebrating it as I was on the La-Z-Boy semi-reclined sleeping most of the day.

For COVID-19 from what I see it is even worse than 'just the flu' and now I am seventeen years older and a diabetic too which puts me into a higher risk category.  So far we have been lucky and isolating ourselves now and I have been working at home.  When we do need supplies I am using a list of what is necessary prepared ahead of time to minimize the number of stores I have to go to and it is just me going to the store.  Hand-washing has always been practiced here and we just upped the frequency (whenever I walk out I wash my hands when I get back).  Paper towels by the sink for when we finish washing.  We do have a small supply of wipes, but, I have cleaners and Javex that works just as well cleaning surfaces.

For household supplies we didn't go into a panic like too many others.  For decades we always kept at least a two week supply of frozen, canned and dried goods in the house in the event of a weather emergency.  If we did lose hydro then a lot of using the BBQ for the frozen goods before it spoils.  BBQ always has two spare tanks so we can do three meals a day for a few weeks without a problem.  All we needed was only a minimal topping up there (milk, bread & butter).  Toilet paper and paper towels we tried to keep a four week supply and we were not worried when there were nothing in the stores.  We limit trips to the stores to only what is needed and kept our distance from all others to minimize our contacts with others.  We did have a small supply of cash, but, with COVID-19 we used credit cards for all payments.

People were rediscovering the joys of cooking, but, again panic buying of baking staples and hoarding meant many others were denied some staples.  Again, we were lucky as I do a lot of baking and had most staples on hand with the exception of a small quantity of yeast.  Hopefully people will keep on doing more home baking as there is nothing better than fresh baked goods over prepackaged items that may be high in sugar, fat, salt & preservatives.

It is sad and frustrating watching and reading the news about those who are ignoring best practices to try to minimize the spread.  Trolls are spreading conspiracy theories to get the people to fear the government and any possible medications or vaccines in the future.  People who have medical issues, the elderly, health care workers EMS and others pay the price of some members of society not trying to slow the spread by physical distancing and staying at home.  You want to be social?  Facebook, twitter, Skype, ZOOM, Messenger allows you to socialize with co-workers, friends and family without the chance of spreading the virus.

For politicians that are wanting to restart businesses as you are worried about the financial impact.  If people get sick and die because you opened earlier to 'save the economy' then who will make the products, who will deliver the products, who will buy the products as the people are sick or dead?

For politicians:

• We want you to be leaders;
• We want you not to point fingers;
• We want calm, clear communications and no political spin;
• The buck stops with you and if you don't do your job we can replace you at the next election;
• We want you to consult with and take the advice of experts;
• Not to pronounce that you know it all and know better than the experts;
• We want you to take responsibility of your actions or inaction and not to blame others;
• We want you to put aside partisanship and embrace co-operation with all parties to put the needs of the people and country first.

After the emergency

When it is all done and over with there must be a public formal review at the municipal, provincial (state), federal and international:

• What Worked and why;
• What needed improvement.  Action plan to improve things, assign people to the tasks, delivery dates and a schedule for updates until completed.
• Who should be responsible to set up a number of facilities for
• Critical medical supplies like gowns, masks, gloves, cleaners, essential medicines, testing kits, any specialized medical devices;
• A plan to keep it stocked and disposal of expired materials;
• A budget defined to keep the facilities operational;
• Regular reports to the government on the status of the facility;
• Who should be responsible for monitoring for potential outbreaks in the future and reporting to the various levels of government;
• Who should get the reports and the communication process;
• Who is responsible to take action on the reports;
• Who are critical personnel in various industries;
• Food supply and the supply chain;
• Doctors, nurses, paramedics, police, fire departments;
• Long term care homes;
• Communications;
• Utilities;
• Transportation;
• Communication plan so we know what position (not the person) will be the central point of contact;
• How is it communicated;
• How often will there be updates;
• Basic plan to define each stage of the emergency;
• What gets shut down and when will it restart;