How To Alter Your Budget To Suit Your Work From Home Lifestyle

According to the multi-ministry task force handling COVID-19, Singapore may enter Phase Three by the end of 2020 should the community cases remain low in the country. The restrictions reflected by this upcoming phase may last for a year or more. That being said, more and more people are working from home.

This huge shift in the global workplace has brought many changes in our lives. Whenever big transitions occur, it is a good opportunity to re-assess all the aspects of our lives including our finances. What has changed in your budget ever since you started working from home?

Reduced costs on transportation, work clothing, daily coffee stops, and dining out were usually observed in the previous months. In contrast, many experience a spike in utilities, groceries, and online shopping fees. How can you better prepare for your future with this new set-up?

#1: RE-EVALUATE WHERE YOUR MONEY IS GOING

Get a realistic view of your finances by pulling out your bank statements, credit card bills, and other month expenses from the past three months. If you are using a budgeting app such as Mint, you may track your spending using the information inside the app. Look for unnecessary categories or recurring expenses that you can do without. This will help you spend less than what you have originally planned.

Aside from your spending, concentrate on other parts of your personal finance such as investments and emergency funds. You have the luxury of time to re-evaluate how much you are saving in your emergency funds. Ensure that the money you put inside will be sufficient to cover unforeseen events such as unemployment. We must overcome complacency during these tough times.

#2: CONSIDER DIFFERENT BUDGETING STRATEGIES

As you establish your new budget to suit your work from home lifestyle, you may employ different strategies such as goal-specific budget and the 50/30/20 method. The former focuses on the goal and not the percentages. You may start with a specific short-term goal such as saving S$50 for your emergency fund this week or a long-term goal such as putting away S$5,000 for a vacation next year. Break down your goals and allot how much you need to save per week or per month. Ensure that you meet your other financial responsibilities as you prepare for your goals too.

The 50/30/20 method entails putting 50% of your take-home pay to your fixed expenses including groceries and rent. 30% needs to go to your variable expenses such as entertainment and clothing. While, 20% is dedicated to your savings. Choose a strategy that will best work for you.

#3: STORE EXTRA CASH IN YOUR HOME

Many of us are working from home because there has been a shift in the economy due to the unpleasant effects of the pandemic. It helps to be prepared as we live within the realms of uncertainty. Store extra cash in your home for emergency situations. You may label this as your emergency fund, which can cover your expenses for at least six to nine months.

Knowing that you will be alright for a considerable amount of time before needing to use other financial resources can help you sleep better at night. This will prevent you from incurring debts.

#4: MAXIMIZE YOUR TELECOM AND INTERNET PLANS

Because most of our time are spent at home, it comes as no surprise that our utilities are higher now. Do your best to ensure that you are getting the most out of your telecom and internet plans. If your plan has an inclusion of data, try to substitute a costly mobile call for calling over at WhatsApp or Telegram. Various online platforms offer free calling and video-conferencing services worldwide. Take advantage of that!

#5: CONSERVE ENERGY

This new living and working arrangements have considerable effects on our electric bills. As much as possible, conserve energy on the devices and appliances that you work with. Unfavorable habits such as leaving your laptop constantly plugged in or forgetting to unplug your smartphone charger can cost you.

Image Sources: unsplash.com

One of the easiest ways to save energy is by ensuring that your cables or chargers are unplugged. Most devices work best with the 40-80 battery rule. You must plug the charger when your battery drops below 40% and disconnect the plug when the battery reaches 80%. Leaving a laptop or handphone constantly plugged in can cause extra wear and tear to the battery. Take care of the devices, which you use on a regular basis.

Sources: 1, 2 & 3

 

Read More...

10 things you need to know about heading back to the office from Sep 28

Back to the workplace from Sep 28

Are you already in the office to start the new week? Or have received a work schedule from your employer regarding the days you should physically report for work? While some can’t wait to get their office routine back, many are sitting on the fence after being used to working from home amid the pandemic.

Here are 10 things you need to know if you’re called back to the office from Sep 28.

#1: Employer has the right to ask you back

Even if your job can be done from home, your employer has the right to ask you to return back to the office. However, you should be allowed to work from home for at least half of your working time.

In addition to that, your employer must ensure that not more than 50% of the people who can work from home are in the office at any one time.

Those who are working part-time will keep to a pro-rated system. For example, if you normally work four days a week, you should only be in the office 2 days a week.

#2: Cannot return to the office full-time on the basis of the home being unconducive for work

As we’ve mentioned earlier, if your job can be completed from home, you should be doing so at least for half your working time. You should not return to the office full-time just because home is an unconducive work environment to get your job done.

This is because employers will need to explain the business or operational reasons if their staff are not working from home for the period as advised by the authorities.

#3: Leave days count towards the total number of days you spend working from home
back-to-work-date-calendar

Image Credits: FlexJobs

This may be a little tricky to understand so here’s an example to aid us in explaining:

Based on a five-day workweek, you will be allowed to go back to the office for 2.5 days a week. But should you decide to take two days off, your boss can still require you to go back to the office for 2.5 days. With that said, you will spend the remaining 0.5-day working from home.

#4: External meetings and events count towards the number of days you spend in the office

Employees who need to attend to work meetings and events outside the office can count their time as time spent in the workplace.

#5: You may go back to the office for regular meetings

While meetings should be conducted virtually as far as possible amid the pandemic, your boss may ask you to head back to the office for meetings.

Employers can consider a flexible work arrangement for staff to go back to the office only for meetings and work from home for the rest of the day.

#6: Inform your employer if you have a medical condition that has weakened your immune system
asian-woman-with-runny-nose

Image Credits: Freepik

You should inform your employer if you’re undergoing a chronic medical condition with a compromised immune system. Your employer should make arrangements to allow you to work from home and provide the necessary IT equipment needed.  If that can’t be done, a temporary redeployment to another role within the company might do the trick.

However, if the above-mentioned arrangements can’t be made, your employer can still ask you to return to the office. But there must be at least 1m of space set between you and your colleagues.

#7: Avoid interacting with colleagues as usual

Heading back to the office doesn’t mean that interaction is back to normal. Keep to these rules at the workplace:

  • Wear a mask at all times, unless impossible due to the nature of your work or the work environment.
  • Be 1m apart from your colleagues in the office, including at your workstation and during meetings.
  • Do not gather in groups larger than the prevailing permitted group size for social gatherings. This includes meal times or smoke breaks.
#8: Only work-related events of up to 50 people can take place in the office

Work-related events include:

  • Meetings
  • Training sessions
  • Townhalls
  • Corporate retreats
  • Tender briefings to vendors and business conferences
  • Onboarding or retrenchment exercises

Celebrations, parties, dinner and dance events, team bonding activities or gala dinners are not considered work-related events under the latest update by the authorities.

Also, food and drinks should not be served at such events where possible. But if absolutely necessary, individuals must be seated and served, with meal durations kept short.

#9: Employers should implement flexible workplace arrangements
singapore office with safe distancing in place

Image Credits: The Straits Times

Employers should embrace flexible workplace arrangements. For example, stagger start times to avoid crowding. There can also be a shift or split team operations to minimize interactions between different teams. Employees may also consider asking their staff to work from home in the morning but return to the office after lunchtime.

#10: Can I report my employer if rules are not kept to?

Yes, you should do so via the SnapSAFE app. Download the app via the App Store or the Google Play Store.

 

Read More...

How To Master Working From Home With Kids Around

With the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic and our compliance to social distancing guidelines, many of us have transformed our homes into offices. Your home is an oasis, except when you are forced to mix your personal life with your professional life. Schools may have opened last June, but some rotate between online and on-campus lessons. It is a gradual transition that comes with the new normal.

The “no kids allowed in the office” rule no longer applies to us. Employees and business owners are now juggling their household duties with their workplace tasks. Some find it a struggle to create a peaceful environment free from the distractions created by their children, pets, or younger siblings. Just take a look at the video below!

TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN

It is important to talk to your children about what is happening around them. Ensure that you are explaining the situation at an age-appropriate level. Some children may understand the safety restrictions, while others may see the pandemic as an unreasonable limitation.

Explain to them that we are looking out for each other during this pandemic. Part of how we help each other right now is by staying at home. Sometimes, a change in perception is all that we need.

ESTABLISH A SCHEDULE

One of the benefits of working at home is flexibility. Write down your priorities for the day and set them within your working hours. If you’re married, you may explore alternating schedules in coordination with your partner and your children. This will help you manage your household chores and office tasks accordingly.

Have an agreed schedule with your employer to ensure that you are filling in the required number of hours per day. Given that most of us work from home, some employers may understand the need for non-traditional schedules.

FOCUS ON YOUR PRIORITIES

Prioritize your work by accomplishing important tasks first. There will be interruptions along the way and it will take longer than usual. This is why you accomplish urgent tasks in the morning and save the minor tasks later in the day.

Avoid unexpected yells and loud noises in the background by hitting the mute button during conference calls. Toddlers will not understand that they cannot always have your undivided attention. If your toddler seeks your attention during a business call, you may ask to reschedule if you can. Minor tasks such as replying to client comments on social media may be done while your children are sleeping.

CREATE SNACK AND PLAY STATION

Find a spacious corner in your home and assign that as the “snack and play station”. Prepare a bunch of snacks and drinks for your children and instruct them on how much they can consume per day. Aside from this, you may let your child’s creativity run wild through free-play. Provide books, art materials, and other learning materials such as puzzles and blocks within this station.

Tackle your workload while your kids are having fun and playing safely on the corner.

PLAN FOR INTERRUPTIONS

Think of alternative strategies to minimize the disruptions from your family members. Firstly, you can take advantage of naptime. Do bulk of your heavy tasks during this time. Whether your child sleeps for one to three hours, use this time to complete tasks that seek your focus and concentration.

You may also setup a virtual meeting between your children and your relatives while you work. Ask a friend or a family member for a favor to teach your children a new skill while they are chatting online. Connecting your children to their friends and their grandparents through Skype, Zoom, or Facetime can be helpful to their well being too.

SET REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

Let us face it! There are no professional advantages to pretending things are the way they used to be. Reduce your anxiety and manage everyone’s expectations by being honest with your coworkers. Tell them what is going on in your home office.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Similarly, you must be honest with yourself when it comes to your abilities in handling your children. You cannot turn into a good teacher overnight. Be patient with yourself and your children throughout the process.

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

 

Read More...

Surefire Ways To Maximize Working From Home

With the Circuit Breaker period put in place, work from home became the new normal. And while your co-worker diligently sends out emails at 8 am or messages some ideas to brainstorm on Monday, I can assure you that he or she would rather do something else at home.

This work from setup is not for everyone. It is harder from some people, and you may be suffering from anxiety already. For starters, there seems to be more work to be done as the company wants to ensure that you maximize your time. Secondly, there are constant distractions such as your clingy household pet or sister’s loud Kdrama show. Thirdly, your mother may be asking you to help around the house. Lastly, you may feel gloomy due to the uncertainty of the current pandemic.

While our tasks our different, one thing remains the same. We need to get our job done! We need to clock in at a certain time, check emails, attend Zoom meetings, and message our clients. While you have read almost all the tips surrounding the at-home office setup, each person’s experience will be completely different.

The struggle is real. The question is, what do you do about it? Here are five tips that can help you during the CB work-from-home period.

#1: TIDY UP YOUR SPACE

If you have been working in an open-space layout, then you know how it feels to not have a desk of your own. Well, now is the time to personalize your space and to get your interior design hats on. Brighten up your workspace by putting family pictures or indoor plants. Having a dedicated and decorated area makes it more inviting for you to work.

#2: TAKE BITE-SIZED BREAKS

One round of Design Home or Mobile Legends app did not hurt anyone. You may also indulge in an episode of Money Heist or take a 30-minute long nap. All of these mini-breaks enable you to work productively at home. No one is going to stop you, anyway! Ensure that you are following the deadlines and scheduled meetings set by your boss. Do not forget to provide the output that he or she needs. Get that all-important water break to nourish you throughout the day too!

#3: KNOW WHEN TO STOP

This tip goes hand-in-hand with the previous one. There must be clear boundaries set in place for all of us working from home. Because all communications are done through the email or through the phone, we tend to forget that we are already working beyond our working hours. Setting boundaries is not just for your boss. It is for your own mental and physical health too. Go offline when you are done for the day. Do a non-work related activity to ease your mind too. Take an hour of hot bath or yin yoga. Enjoy anything that will keep your mind and hands off your tools for work!

#4: DRESS COMFORTABLY

Find a style that works for you. If you find that you are more productive by wearing pajamas then, do that. Others may feel the need to get dressed in uniform to set the tone for their work day. It is all in the matter of preference. There is no pressure to dress nicely as you will only sit in your home office. However, you must dress appropriately for video conferences or online meetings.

#5: COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY

Communication is essential to help you survive this setup. Talk to your co-workers about the task at hand. Ensure that no details are wrong or misunderstood. Talk to your boss about the support you need to get for a particular project. Communicating what you need and how you feel will bridge the gap between the online and offline processes. It can also be a way for you to reduce your stress.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

At the end of the day, it is really up to you to find a flow that would help you stay productive and efficient while enjoying your work-from-home setup.

Read More...

Increase Your WFH Productivity With These Samsung Galaxy Deals

Enjoy bundled gifts worth up to $1,6951 with these Samsung Galaxy deals.

Working from home can be challenging, but having the right tools on hand can help you stay productive and win the day.

Be mobile and able

You’ll need a device that’s powerful enough to create your in-office productivity. The Galaxy S20 series – Samsung’s latest flagship – and its Microsoft Office tools are what you need to help you stay engaged and work efficiently:

  • Being able to access all of your data is key. With cloud storage, you can access all your important files from home, without worrying which device you are working from. The Microsoft 365 Personal Subscription2 gives you 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage and access to premium Office apps such as Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook.
  • Sync your PC and phone – Samsung’s Link To Windows3 feature easily mirrors your phone screen to your PC. That way, you can keep track of tasks on your phone and PC simultaneously on one device, helping you to streamline your work process.

Get a 12-month Microsoft 365 Personal Subscription + Samsung 24” FHD Monitor (worth $296 in total)1 with purchase of the Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G.

Get a 12-month Microsoft 365 Personal Subscription + Wireless Charger Stand (worth $226 in total)1 with purchase of the Galaxy S20+ | S20

Samsung Online Store Exclusive: Get a Samsung 27” Essential Curved Monitor (U.P. $288) at $1881 with purchase of Galaxy S20+ | S20

Better notes start with the right tools

Become WFH pros with some of these Galaxy Note10 features:

  • When you’re working remotely, staying focused may be challenging, especially after endless hours of virtual meetings. One simple hack is to take handwritten notes instead of typing them to avoid getting distracted by what’s happening on your PC screen. Plus, writing notes by hand can boost your memory power. The Galaxy S Pen on the Note10 will seamlessly convert your handwriting to text4, and when you’re done, you can share your notes via a Microsoft Word doc or an Outlook email.
  • Ever had a great idea that you just can’t remember? We could all benefit from having a quick way to capture our thoughts whenever inspiration strikes. Jot down your ideas on the Galaxy Note10 screen without even opening an app.
  • Why stop at simple notes? Use the Galaxy Note10 with Samsung Notes and easily create rich multimedia content with photos and audio tracks.

Get a 12-month Microsoft 365 Personal Subscription + Wireless Charger Stand (worth $226 in total)1 with purchase of the Galaxy Note10 series.  

 Samsung Online Store Exclusive: Get a Samsung 27” Essential Curved Monitor (U.P. $288) at $1881 with purchase of the Galaxy Note10 series. 

 Set WFH boundaries

To avoid burnout, draw strict boundaries that ensure much-needed breaks and “me time”. Schedule time onto your calendar to take a well-deserved break to catch up on all your favourite shows.  The Galaxy Tab S5e is the perfect companion for your in-home entertainment experience.

At only 5.5mm thin and weighing 400grams, the Galaxy Tab S5e is Samsung’s slimmest tablet yet5. With its quick-charging 7,040mAh (typical)6 battery, you can enjoy up to 15 hours7 of video play on a 10.5-inch8 Super AMOLED display that delivers stunning colours and optimal screen brightness. Featuring an AKG Quad Speaker system sound and Dolby Atmos® 3D surround sound, enjoy rich, true-to-life sounds that will keep you fully immersed in what’s on screen.

Purchase the Galaxy Tab S5e and get a free 12-month Viu Premium Subscription and Book Cover in black (worth $194 in total)1.

Prefer something more versatile? Meet the category-defying Galaxy Fold. The Galaxy Fold is both a smartphone and a tablet, offering you the best of both worlds, whether for work or for play.

We love how you can even easily mirror9  the Galaxy Fold screen to the TV to watch all your favourite dramas with your loved ones.

Get the Galaxy Fold and enjoy a Samsung 43” QLED Q60T 4K Smart TV and 12-month Viu Premium Subscription (worth $1,695)1.

Stay Strong While You Stay In

Working from home can blur the lines between work and rest. If you find it difficult to disengage after a day at work, one of the best ways to boost your energy is to get active. The Samsung Health app tracks your daily progression on activity level, workout intensity, sleep quality, calorie and water intake and recommends new fitness programmes according to your fitness interest. Track your workouts with the Galaxy Watch Active2. The Samsung smartwatch tracks all your activity in one place, so that you can take charge of your fitness and establish a fitness routine to keep yourself in shape.

Save $20 and get a free Wireless Battery Pack worth $981 when you purchase the Galaxy Watch Active2.

 

All promotions are valid at Samsung Online Store, selected Consumer Electronics and IT online stores and Online Retailers from 9 May to 7 June 2020, unless otherwise stated.

T&Cs apply. For more details, visit here.

1 While stocks last, terms and conditions apply. Please check at Samsung Online Store for details.
2 Subscription charges may apply.
3 Availability may vary depending on country or carrier. Compatibility and availability of functions and features may vary depending on app. To connect your phone to your PC, activate “Link to Windows”, and use the “Your Phone” application on your PC. “Your Phone” application is preloaded on PC with Windows 10, October 2018 Update or later, and is downloadable for Windows 10, April 2018 Update or later versions.
4 Actual text export function may require some processing to turn writing into text. Text export feature availability may vary by language.
5 As compared to other Samsung tablets of comparable size.
6 Typical value tested under third-party laboratory condition, based on Samsung internal test results under controlled testing parameters . Typical value is the estimated average value considering the deviation in battery capacity among the battery samples tested under IEC 61960 standard. Rated (minimum) capacity is 6,840mAh. Actual battery life may vary depending on network, usage, settings, battery condition and other surrounding factors and conditions.
7 Based on Samsung internal test results under controlled testing parameters on a fully-charged battery. Dependent on network, usage, mode settings, battery condition, and other surrounding factors and conditions.
8 Measured diagonally as a full rectangle without accounting for the rounded corners.
9 Subject to device compatibility.

Read More...