Addy's blog: The ups and downs of working from home.

I am incredibly lucky, my employer has a remote working policy that insists the majority of staff work remotely two days a week. I don’t have to fight for my right to flexibility and it is a blessing – isn’t it?

To set the scene, I have two children ages 2 and a bit, and 11 months and I have recently returned to work full time from maternity leave. I fortunately also have an incredibly supportive husband and a wonderful nanny. We all work relatively seamlessly together as a team ensuring the children are fed, watered, clothed and at various clubs and parties on time. But, I am the main organiser of the diary, the food ordering and general dividing up of chores.

In work, I have joined a very busy team, on a large time-constrained regulatory project. I didn’t have the chance to phase back after this maternity leave for a variety of reasons, so I feel very much like I have had to jump straight onto a moving treadmill.

So, to working for home and its logistics: despite a room full of toys my kids invariable try to migrate into the office, opening door and shouting “Hi Mummy – TA DAAAAA” in a BBC like interview situation right in the middle of a conference call!

However this what I have learnt in the last six weeks of returning to work and managing flexible working:-

• Talk to your boss about what you can and can’t achieve working remotely. I was dreading this conversation and actually was pleasantly surprised as I presented my case for logging off early to see the kids for dinner, bath and bed but logging on again later to finish my work. I realised that I am actually far more productive in those couple of hours than I would listening to the kids eating (right next to my office door).
• Diary management is key at work as well as home. Figure out what you can do off line/later in the evening when the kids are asleep versus what’s imperative during the day.
• Save PowerPoints before putting the baby on my lap as she has a habit of either adding random text or magically deleting the slide I've spent an hour on.
• Shut the door when on conferences calls and use a headset rather than speaker phone. It limits what I can hear outside my door (less distraction for me) and reduces what my kids can hear (less temptation for them to join in).
• Be more present – don’t read emails when on calls. The temptation to multitask is great, but if you were actually sat in a meeting you wouldn’t be on your blackberry the whole meeting. I have fallen foul of this several times and have missed important conversations.
• With the age of remote working ever more present, utilise all the tools available to you. Video calls to other colleagues, group chat rooms and conference calls are all there to make you able to work more effectively and feel more connected.
• Be aware of being stuck at a desk all day. My fit watch politely told me last night that it had noticed I was much less active on Mondays (one of my routine WFH days) and perhaps I should add a walk during the day to up my step count!

So on balance working from home has its challenges to stay connected and motivated but is a blessing. I get to see my kids for meals and bed, I don’t have to commute on hot crowded trains and I get to save a few pounds on train fares. If I could add a brisk lunchtime stroll into my diary even my watch would be kept happy!.

Addy is a Director in risk and control in Banking, based in the City. She has two young children, a very supportive husband, a fantastic nanny and two mad rescue cats.