Category: Workplace Relevance for the Successful Admin

Working remotely is full of positives, and a few negatives—as I outlined in my last blog post Confessions of a Remote Worker: Part One. One of the hardest parts of being a remote worker is that when you’re in your home office, you’re alone all the time. Pets don’t count as co-workers. Another challenge is that you’re not at the office with your boss. As the saying goes—out of sight, out of mind.

It’s been over a year since I went remote and I now consider myself a semi-expert on the entire remote working gig. At the very least, I can offer up lessons learned to help you, the next remote worker, who is looking for practical advice on how to make working off-site a positive, productive experience.

Every office comes with politics. It can be messy, especially when it involves the boss playing favorites, or the person in the cube next to you that’s out for your job and pay grade. Even the water cooler gossip that seems innocuous can bite. You most likely can’t avoid office politics, but don’t despair. Here are a few ways that you can still thrive in a politically charged environment.

When I talk to Boomers who are working, there’s a palatable fear that if they lose their jobs, they’ll never find another one. There’s good cause for their concern. According to Forbes nearly 40 percent of unemployed Americans—roughly 4.8 million people—have been jobless for six months or longer. About half of them are over age 50.