I often find myself just scrolling on my phone, watching my screen time add up. I'm wondering if there’s a better way to spend those frequent 15-20 minutes of downtime.

I work fully remote, and while the workload isn’t overwhelming, I do have to show activity on my laptop due to system trackers. Still, I often have a lot of free time while waiting for discussions or meetings to kick off before diving into work.

How do you all use that time? Any productive ideas or habits you've found helpful?

Engagement has dropped most among on-site employees who could work remotely but are required to be in the office.

Those in non-remote roles have the lowest overall engagement.

This contradicts the narrative that bringing people back onsite would “reconnect” them to the company’s culture and mission.

https://www.gallup.com/401384/indicator-hybrid-work.aspx

Edit: this applies only to onsite remote-capable employees; thanks for pointing this out!

I’ll be making a year at my current wfh in two month but I’ve seen another wfh opening that I’m interested in. How do I bring it up to my supervisor? Was waiting till my yearly review before I bring this up. I’m too tired of working on phones and don’t think I can wait any longer. The opening also closes in a few days and would like to apply. Any advice is welcomed! Thanks!

Have been WFH for over a year now, and I am definitely feeling the effects of not walking/moving as much... Lately I've been feeling very restless, like I have to stretch every part of my body, but I'm not super sure what the best stretches are. Any videos or recommendations in general?

I am going to try walking more too!

I'm a contractor and currently working with 2 different clients from my home office. I want to be able to work from 1 laptop during the day and have both clients (email, teams etc) be visible and accessible at all times. My setup currently is a USB C docking station with 3 monitors:

Client 1:
- Using my personal business laptop, I use the desktop Teams and Outlook clients which gives me access to everything I need as all files are on SharePoint Online/Teams and so no VPN is needed
- Any on-prem resources I need can be accessed through their VDI solution

Client 2:
- Provided me with a laptop
- No DisplayLink drivers are installed and so connecting to my current docking station doesn't work (I put in a ticket to request the drivers be installed but expecting this may get rejected)
- Using M365 and so I have access to Teams and Outlook etc. from the internet. OneDrive is configured.
- Files are all stored on SharePoint on prem and so VPN is needed to access

What I've thought of/tried so far:
- Logged into Client 2 M365 in Edge that gives me access to all Office apps that I need - does not get me SharePoint file access though
- RDP is not enabled on Client 2 and so I can't use that from my personal device
- I've not used OneDrive a lot but I was wondering if I could leave Client 2 laptop always on and connected to VPN and configure a sync of SharePoint folders I'd need to OneDrive and then access OneDrive from my laptop in the browser. Thought being I could access files and have them sync both ways. Not sure if this can a) be done and b) is even a good idea
- If I can get the DisplayLink drivers installed on Client 2, I could manually switch between laptops if I add a KVM but I risk not being able to join a call or pickup a message instantly if I'm not active with that client on screen
- Could use an expensive KVM I've seen that can display both devices at the same time on my screens, will be expensive though and may be a last resort consideration. Still not helpful if I require drivers installed on Client 2 laptop for docking station/KVM hardware etc.

Please throw me out your suggestions on anything I can do to make this easier

Hello everyone, I need some advice. I am currently looking for a USB Switch for my peripherals so I can swap them from my work laptop to my desktop and back. The peripherals that I will be connecting to this USB switch would be my keyboard, mouse, and (the reason for this post) my Focusrite Scarlett Solo audio interface which has my microphone and earbuds connected to it.

Is anyone able to recommend a USB Switch that will work with my audio interface? or guide me in the right direction?

Thanks in advance!

Hey ya’ll! I’m a fully remote WFH-er. Recently just came to realize that it’s not for me. But, due to circumstances beyond my control I have to stick to it for atleast the next year or more. My house is quiet as it’s just my partner and I. I have a dedicated room for my office with a locking door. My issue is I cannot focus one bit when I’m at home. But if I work from a coffee shop or any “office-like” environment I’m super productive. It’s not even that I’m scrolling on my phone I just can’t get into deep work when I’m at home. Are there ideas for what I can do to bring that office environment productivity I seem to have into the home? My issue is when I don’t see people around me also working my mind starts to wander.

I have a 27" monitor with a support arm.

It is mounted on an Ikea desk (LINNMON) which, as you can imagine, does not have the best quality and cannot support heavy weights.

Would a solution like this improve the situation and distribute the weight better? Has anyone had a similar problem?

• Current: IT Help Desk | 1 day in office | $59k/year

• Prospect: Cyber Security Technician | 3 days in office | $62k/year

• Round trip to office: 80 miles | 100ish minutes

• Average fuel cost per trip: $10

I'm a government worker and a new position is opening up and is very tempting solely due to the fact that it's a new area, which would allow for a higher ladder to climb. However, after crunching some numbers, it seems as though it would be a wash in terms of dollars after figuring in fuel, food, and maintenance costs.

The one enticing thing is moving to the Cyber Security realm, which would mean there's a possibility of higher pay down the road, seeing as it's a different pay scale. It's not guaranteed raises, but possible.

I just wanted to get some thoughts from others. We just bought a new car, so keeping low miles on that has been really nice.

What would you do?

I'm about to give my employer notice after accepting a new position. My employee handbook states I need to work my last day at the nearest office.

I'd have to get up at 5am to get a 2-hour train trip to the nearest office and bring all of the company equipment (laptop, monitor, webcam, headset), then get another 2-hour train journey home.

Surely the company can just send a courier for the equipment and I work my last day from home, right?

I'm going to query this with my manager when giving my notice, but I just wanted to get some perspective first.

Keeping everyone informed about organizational changes can feel like sending smoke signals—clarity is key. Here’s how to ensure effective communication:

1. Use multiple channels to disseminate information, such as emails, meetings, and internal platforms.
2. Provide context around changes, explaining the reasons behind them to foster understanding.
3. Encourage questions and discussions to clarify any uncertainties among team members.

Research indicates that transparent communication during organizational changes can boost morale and reduce anxiety. How do you keep your team informed about important developments?

I just realized mine is 15hrs and felt sick

This is my current situation. My company, which requires a minimum of 3 days per week in the office, agreed to let me move out of state and work remotely, but I had to switch to being a contractor instead of a FTE. So no health insurance, no PTO, no 401k matching, etc. I agreed because I wanted to move, but just curious what others would do in this situation.

EDIT: To clarify, I'm not asking for advice, I'm asking what you personally are willing to give up to WFH.

I'm very much an OCD driven person. Diagnosed eith autism and very likely ocd, little issues with desks make me go insane over time (be it creaking, shakiness, etc.) What type of desk would you suggest I get to accomodate for these needs?

I’m currently renting a house in city where I WFH. We have to be in office 5 days per month, so I’m thinking of moving to back home in city x and commute to city y where I work

Does anyone know good options for a place to stay for cheap for five days per month? The hotel and Airbnb for five days can add up to 50% of rent whichmakes me think that I might as well continue renting

So where I’m living right now, includes internet but when connecting to my VPN it’s spotty at best, disconnecting every few minutes. I can’t get my own internet because they won’t let me have a coax installed. There are not other options in my area. I got a hotspot through my mobile carrier, but I’ve already hit my 10gb limit and now it’s so slow, I might as well not have it.

I tried to go back into the office, but my department has no presence here so corporate wont approve it (which is crazy cause my company wants everyone to be back in office, but whatever)

I can’t afford the $300 a month co working space. I deal exclusively in NPI for a financial institution, so I’m not “allowed” to work in public areas like coffee shops, and I host a lot of calls anyway.

Any ideas?

They did not give me a budget when I asked but said I could send links to items I prefer from Amazon. They have a dell laptop they will send but besides that I’m planning on asking for 2 monitors, a keyboard, a mouse, and a headset. Any recommendations for which ones I should ask for? Is wireless or wired better for the keyboard, mouse, and headset?

If they don’t give a budget, is there still a $$ amount I should aim to stay within that’s the norm?

What a bad day to have an all org video meeting at 9 AM! 😴 The higher-ups asked that we all have our cameras on and it's funny that there are coworkers with their cameras off.

EDIT: We got through post-holiday Monday, so it only gets easier from here ... thnx 4 sharing!

It was even rougher for me bc i was woken up at 1 am then couldn't fall asleep till 3 am, only to have to wake up at 7am, it was a struggle! But I managed to even be productive for the rest of the day.

Happy taco tequila Tuesday (after work ofc! 😜🌮🍸🍸)

I’m thinking about getting a new keyboard/mouse for wfh. Any recommendations?

Currently I have Logi silent touch but it’s not very comfortable.

I don't really know how to explain this, but I began WFH halfway through 2020. Over the last year or so, I've begun to notice that random noises just soothe me or come off more relaxing than they should. E.G., dogs barking in my neighborhood, people mowing their lawn, people shoveling snow off of their driveway. I don't know how to really explain it, but I've chalked it up to me WFH and sitting in silence all day. Can anyone else relate?

I have a stepper but sometimes I see myself sitting down. Any ways to get motivated to step? If you see yourself stop, any way to get back on?

I have ADHD and am finding that I am gaining a bit of weight. Trying to lose 10-15lbs during the work day as I don’t have much time elsewhere in my life and want to stay active.

Hi all, Is there a wireless keyboard/mouse with 2 usb receiver in the market?

I need 1 set of wireless eyboard/mouse combo for both work and PC and if it comes with 2 usb receiver, then, it would be perfect. I'm looking for 2 usb receiver as I do not 100% trust bluetooth connection performance.

I don't want the membrane keyboard, however, I do not need mechanical either (though mechanical should work too), as long as the keyboard is deeper in depth than the membrane one.

Does what I'm looking for exist in the market?

Thx all!

I have a new role but it requires I work in the middle of the night and occasionally take phone calls. My partner will sleep in an adjacent room. We own a small house and there is no other option but for him to sleep in an adjacent room that shares a wall.

Any suggestions for soundproofing the room? I do not want to wake him up in the middle of the night from one of the phone conversations. Does anyone have any experience with this issue / night shift WFH?

Thank you.

I have a colleague who stands all day (we all wfh) and I aspire to do the same thing. I don’t have an issue starting, but after an hour, I get uncomfortable and eventually sit the rest of the day.

Is there a trick to standing for this length of time? Is there anything I can do/buy to make this easier over time?

I’ve been looking through various posts and just can’t seem to find a solution that fits the bill. So hoping this post will help!

I WFH full time in approx 100sqft office with limited outside noise (except occasional barking from my dogs in another room, or when my kids are home from school).

I’m in calls 50% of my day, running workshop meetings and often taking notes, leading discussions, and live editing documents with clients (so keyboard usage while on calls is a common occurrence).

I was using my MBP for my speaker,cam,mic, but have upgraded to a nice 34” display with my MBP in clamshell mode for better ergonomics for myself.

I don’t like headphones for both usage and appearance on calls.

What would you all recommend as a setup for webcam, speakers, and Mic?

I do listen to music, videos, webinars, etc occasionally during my work day, so something with decent sound quality would be great!

Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

If so, can you share your experience?

Currently playing with a dual portable monitor set up that I just find a little not distracting to use. Issue is all of the monitor extenders I've tried are either extremely heavy and require two connections to my laptop.

Looking for tips for anyone who works from home full time who may have experienced carpal tunnel or hand cramping/tingly/numbness. I am 25F and over the last week noticing cramping in both palms, tingling from wrist to fingers and it hurts to do stuff around the house. Anyone experience this? And what happened?

There are portable usb-c monitors which have a tablet-like form factor and there are laptop extenders which are monitors that clip to the side of the laptop.

I want a way to work from bed with a second screen. A laptop extender seems preferable for my case as a portable monitor I would need to place somewhere and that is not easy to do on a bed.

What do people think?Does anyone have any thoughts on best approach to use a second monitor while working from bed?

So I’m soon going to be living on my own in my own house with my Saint Bernard. I can’t leave her for long, I will be training her though.

I work fully remote, luckily I am on a couple of calls a day. Can anyone give me some advice? I’m going to join clubs etc after work but I’m just so so scared.

I also have adhd and struggle from time to time with mental health.

Mine is GREEN TEA LEMONADE. I used to buy it from Starbucks at work, but when I transitioned to freelance, and then full time remote work, I had to find a replacement. I ended up buying a whole bunch of flavored green teas in different fruit varieties, a big jug of local lemonade, and a Torani Syrup. Now, I just mix it all up first thing in the morning to wake myself up, and I'm golden! Sometimes on the weekend, even when I'm not working, I catch myself waking up and making my little drink.

Another one is my desk blanket. I sleep with the air conditioner on, so when I wake up that 65 feels an awful lot like 50. While I wait for the heat to kick in, I have a super thick and warm cover that I toss over my legs. Keeps me cozy. I can't do any morning work without it hahaha.

What are your WFH habits or quirks?