Remote Working-オーストラリア人の私がおススメする日本での「在宅勤務」

1. 仕事をする場所

まずは家の中に「ワークスペース」を作りましょう。日本の家はあまり広くないので、特別なワークスペースを作ることは難しいかもしれません。しかし、普段の職場とは異なる生活スペースにワークスペースを持つことは、生産性やメンタルにとってとても重要です。工夫を凝らし、オリジナルの仕事場を見つけてみましょう。例えば、ダイニングテーブルとか、毛布のないこたつとか。温度や騒音、光量も忘れずに考えてみてくださいね！そして重要なのは、家族にとっても良い環境であること。別々の専用スペースを作れない場合には、作業時間を工夫してみるのも良いでしょう。

Working space

With space limited in many Japanese homes, finding or creating a workspace may be difficult, however, having a space that’s dedicated to work is important for productivity and mental health. You may have to think creatively, but try to ensure you have a place that is easy to work in. You could use your dining table, or perhaps a kotatsu without the blanket. Once you have a space, think about what you’re using as your desk and your chair. Are they comfortable? Can you work all day there? Also don’t forget to think about the temperature, noise and (natural) light.

Considering all of these things, you may need to slightly rearrange your home layout during the work from home time, especially if you other members of your family are also home during work hours. If you can’t create extra space, think of how you can separate your working time, such as by setting up work area in the morning and putting it away when you are finished in the evening.

2. ルーティンと労働時間を守る

在宅勤務では、通勤の必要がなくなりますが普段の生活のルーティンを守ることをおススメします。いつもの時間に起きて、朝食を食べ、服を着替えることは「仕事モードへの切り替え」にとても重要です。通勤時間は自分の時間として使いましょう。私は、本を読んだり洗濯に使っています。また、勤務時間を守るということもとても大切です。私たちの就業時間は、午前9時から午後5時45分です。家族やパートナーと一緒に住んでいる場合、気を散らさずに業務に集中するため、就業時間中は公私を分ける必要があるかもしれません。家にPCがあるとついつい残業したくなってしまいますが、緊急の場合を除いては定時で業務を完了することを心掛けてみてください。定時後は大切な人との時間を優先しましょう。就業時間を守りメリハリをつけた生活で仕事もはかどり、プライベートもより充実したものになるはずです。

Keeping a routine

Despite no longer needing to commute to the office, it is recommended to maintain your regular routine. Waking up, eating breakfast and getting dressed are all important to getting your brain into “work mode”. Of course, since you don’t have to do your morning commute, you can use that time to do something productive for yourself, such as reading a book or getting some chores like laundry out of the way.

Also, it’s important to protect your working time. Our office hours are from 9am to 5:45pm, and our work from home hours are the same. If you live with other people, it is important to communicate these times with them, so you can focus on work without being distracted. You may need to establish boundaries about your availability, even though you are at home. The flip side is, after 5:45pm, unless an urgent task requires finishing, put your work away. It’s easy to be tempted into working late, since your computer is with you at home. But disconnect and give the people you care about your full attention. Having a separate time to work will allow you to be more focused at work, and happier in your home life.

3. 同僚とこまめに連絡を取る

テクダイヤでの連絡手段は、一般的なメールや電話に加えてTeamsなどのチャットツールが充実しています。事務所にいなくてもいつでもどこでも同僚との連絡が可能です。在宅勤務は全員が初めての経験なので、マネージャーの皆さんは部下とのコミュニケーションに集中しましょう。業務についていつだれがどのように行うかを明確にし、チームの手本になってください。もしチーム内にコミュニケーションが上手く取れないメンバーがいたら、伝えたいことをいつもより時間をかけて丁寧に伝えてみてください。対面でコミュニケーションが取れない在宅勤務期間中、細かなフォローアップがチームのやる気とつながりを維持することに繋がります。今、多くの人が孤独を感じています。業務以外でも、チャットやFaceTimeを利用して同僚に気軽に連絡してみましょう。FaceTimeで昼食を一緒に食べるのも良いですね！

Getting in contact

Our company has a number of ways for staff to contact each other, from typical emails to intranet services to instant messaging in the form of Teams. Staying in touch with colleagues, even without being the office, can be done in the way that best suits your team.

Of course, as full-time remote work is new to many people, managers especially should take care here. Be clear about what communication you expect from your team, when and through what channels, and lead by example. If someone isn’t communicating effectively, take some time to tell them what you need and follow up with them until they get the hang of it. A bit of encouragement will go a long way to helping team stay motivated and connected during this time.

Working from home, many people can feel isolated. You can’t say hello or chat to your colleagues while you grab a coffee from the kitchen, after all. But using the same resources you have for keeping in touch with your team, you can keep in touch socially as well. Sending a few messages over teams, or scheduling a video-conference lunch can be great ways to help maintain the social bonds that strengthen our working relationships.

4. 適度な運動

最後は適度な運動をするということ。東京で働くほとんどの人が電車通勤で、駅からオフィスまでの距離は新鮮な空気に触れながら適度な運動に繋がっています。可能でであれば、就業時間の前後に家の周りを15分程度歩いてみましょう。心も体もリフレッシュされるはずです！

Moderate Exercise

Most people in Tokyo commute to work by train, and the walk to and from the train station to the office is valuable for fresh air and exercise. If you want, and keeping social distancing in mind, you can take a 15-minute walk around your local area before or after work. This can be beneficial for your mental health, as well as your physical health.

まとめ

さて、4つのアドバイスはいかがでしたか？私たちは在宅勤務になれていないのできっと困難もたくさんあることでしょう。誰もが最適な環境作りをできるわけではないので、100％の力を発揮することは期待できません。しかし、それぞれが最善を尽くし、問題が起きればすぐにチームに連絡しましょう。今こそチームの力を発揮するときです。ゆっくりと、着実にこの状況をチームで乗り越えましょう。また会社で皆に会えるのを楽しみにしています！

As we all adjust to this new way of working, it’s inevitable that there will be some bumps in the road. Given that not everyone has a perfect environment for working at home – whether that’s due to space constraints or the presence of family members or housemates – it’s impossible to expect 100% productivity right now. Do as much as you can, as best as you can, and communicate any problems as soon as you can. Slowly but surely, our strength as a team will carry us through this. I’m looking forward to meeting you all at the office again soon!

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