Working from home
Since the start of the pandemic, more and more of you have worked from home.
Some colleagues have enjoyed the flexibility it can offer – including saving time commuting to and from work and the money saved on fuel costs.
But, others have said working from home has made them feel stressed, isolated, anxious and uncertain – which is completely normal.
Below we’ve put together some hints and tips that we hope you’ll find useful.
You may wish to share them with colleagues and new starters too.
DSE self-assessment
It’s really important that you complete a Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Assessment when working from home.
This will help you avoid things like back ache, eye strain, headaches and fatigue.
You can find the form on Trustnet by searching ‘Workstations and Assessment.’
If you don’t have access to the staff intranet, please speak to your manager who will be able to help.
You can also watch this short video from the HSE with helpful advice and guidance about setting up your workstation at home.
Stress and mental health
We know that home working can cause work-related stress and affect people's mental health.
Please regularly keep in touch with your managers and colleagues by having check-ins and wellbeing conversations, and let them know if you need extra support.
If needed, you can also access a free helpline 24 hours a day where counselling support can be offered.
The helpline is run by Health Assured and all calls are treated in full confidence.
The number to ring is: 0800 028 0199
7 simple tips to tackle working from home
The NHS has shared these simple tips to help while you are working from home.
They’ve been designed to help you feel more productive and help take care of your mental health.
Lancashire and South Cumbria Resilience Hub
Please remember, you can also access help and support from the Lancashire and South Cumbria Resilience Hub if you are struggling with the psychological effect of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The hard working team there have supported people who have struggled with home working and those who have found it difficult to transition back to working in the office.
You can find out more and complete a self assessment on their website.
