Folks who work remotely: how do you set up your week so you’re not always trying to hit hours?

12 comments

1. The only way I’ve ever been successful working remotely is for salaried jobs. I just don’t have the focus to do 8 hours of work in my house with a bed, kitchen, TV, no supervision, etc.

   I currently WFH 1-2 days a week, and I work maybe 2 hours at best on those days. It’s fine because I get done what I need to, but I could never hit 40 hours WFH.

2. At this point, I choose to work a daily schedule just like I would at an office building. I “arrive at work/clock in” between 8-8:30 am on weekdays, “take a lunch” for 30 mins-an hour around midday, and “head home for the day” around 5 pm-ish. I take a few breaks throughout the day and may use those for housework or going on a walk or just relaxing for a bit. Handling it this way means that my work hours don’t seep into the rest of my day and helps me maintain a strong work/life boundary.

3. I still work my regular hours, as if I were in the office. Some days I’ve got a ton of meetings with folks across the country, so I have to stick with a structured schedule.

4. I’m salaried and have specified hours I need to work; there’s some flexibility there though, if I take a longer lunch to run an errand or have an appointment I’ll work later to make up for it.

   Otherwise, I would block off my schedule in my calendar and dedicate that time to work.

5. Due to the nature of my role I set “office hours” but sometimes start or finish later/earlier depending on workflow, or my team’s demands. At the end of the week it usually works out to be the amount of hours I’m supposed to work

6. I have so many tasks and meetings that I can barely have a cup of coffee. I often skip my lunch. No one makes me to do it except my strong internal sense of duty.

   The worst thing is when my 3yo son stays at home and I have to combine taking care of him and my job. Then I try to do some schedule to catch everything

7. I treat it more like office hours. I set alarms to clock in & out for my 8 hours every day. Do I work, nose to the grindstone the entire time? No, but neither does someone who works at a traditional office. I figure all the time I spend cyber loafing, eating lunch, taking breaks probably meters out to be the same as someone who works in an office, chats and socializes with coworkers, takes lunch outside the office, etc. And just like you’re not always going to have something to do 100% of the time in an office, some days I work from home I don’t have anything to do.

8. What do you mean by hit hours? I just log on in the morning, work my hours and then log out in the afternoon. Just like in the office only that I can use any downtime i might have better when I’m at home.

9. My days are structured with a standing 9:15am meeting.
   So i know i have to be online by 9am.
   The rest of the day depends. I focus on task and lesser on hours.

10. I still generally work 8:30-5:30 at home. If I have a due date to meet, I’ll work longer. If I have a slow day, I’ll do my thing but keep an eye on email and chat to respond to anything that comes up during regular work hours.

11. I work remotely but still have to work 8 hours per day. I usually work 9-12 and 1-6, as brazilian laws require an hour long lunch break to all salaried full-time workers.

12. It’s not any different than being in the office. I have a signed agreement where I work 8-4 with a 30 minute lunch break.

    The only difference is that no one is watching over my shoulder and I can do anything I want during my lunch and breaks.