Back in the spring many companies sent their employees home with a laptop, headset and the new task of working from home. Fast forward to present day and many of us have gotten pretty comfortable with remote work, but there is always room for improvement. The start of a new year is a great time to update your work habits so that they are still beneficial and optimized. Take a look at the tips below from the Environmental Health and Safety Department to do just that.
The team at EHS spends their time working with the campus community to create a safe and healthful workplace through the development and implementation of programs which minimize the risk of occupationally related injury or illness.
- Consider Adjusting Your Seating. Laptops are amazing for being what they are, mobile and compact. But not so much for your posture. The best way to keep your wrists and back strong and healthy is to put your laptop screen on an elevated surface that is at your eye level and use an unattached keyboard to keep down at your fingertips.
- Make a Schedule and Stick to it. Set up your workday with different breaks and activities. Little things like, walking, stretching, taking a lunch break, or getting some air can go a long way.
- Get Yourself Some Blue light Glasses. Computer display screens emit significant amounts of blue light which can cause eye discomfort. To help protect your eyes pick up some blue light glasses to wear while you work on your computer. Not to mention they are also very stylish!
- Be Prepared with the Right Technology. Set up VPN on your computer in order to access certain resources, including the campus wiki and specific software titles. To connect to Cal Poly's VPN service and verify your identity make sure you enroll in Multi-Factor Authentication (Duo).
- Have a Plan of Communication. All Cal Poly faculty and staff have access to Office 365 email and calendar, and Web Conferencing (Zoom). It is highly encouraged that faculty and staff continue to coordinate communication and stay connected with the help of these, or other platforms used within your office.
- Ask for Help! Remember, this is a challenging time for everyone and that there is nothing wrong with asking for help. A great place to start is your local tech support or the ITS Service Desk.