Working remotely

VSHNeers are free to choose to work remotely or at the office.

Working remotely is part of the work culture at VSHN. This page collects all you need to know about working remotely as a VSHNeer. Especially during COVID-19 we found out that even with everyone being remote everything works out very well.

Rules

Some rules for working remotely:

  1. Keep your SOGo calendar up to date.

  2. Let others know in the #virtual-presence chat channel when you start and end your work day.

  3. Also let them know if you are taking a longer break (for example 30 minutes) outside of the common lunch time (most people do it usually between 12 PM and 13 PM). If you are on interrupt handling duty, follow their specific availability rules.

  4. Have Zoom and Chat open regularly.

Socializing

In times when we don’t meet each other regularly, here are some ideas to stay in social contact:

  • Tell others where you’re currently located if you change your work location from time to time.

  • Meet regularly in Zoom for a "coffee break."

  • Post funny stuff in the #off-topic channel.

Tips and Tricks

Get yourself a comfortable working space

It should be comfortable and follow your preferences; you’ll spend the most of your time there.

Work out your routine and stick to it

Figure out your daily routine for getting work done, and bring yourself up into work-mood.
Develop your "starting day" routine. Some people like to do the same things they do when going to office, like shaving, applying make-up, or wearing normal office clothes.
Schedule small breaks to drink coffee/tea or to look outside your window. That will be good for your mental and physical health.
Don’t forget to exercise. This could be as minimal as go for a walk outside.
Also develop an "ending day" routine. Create a set of actions that signals the end of the workday and stay out of the computer, at least for some time.

Stay productive when working remote

Avoid distractions like TV or other devices that can remove your focus.
Don’t do normal domestic work, like laundry, cleaning, etc.
Set rules with the people that live with you during work-hours (family, kids, friends), like not entering the room and not doing any distracting noises.
During meetings, close room door and reduce the possible noise from pet animals. Also, use mute when not talking.

Working abroad (out of Switzerland)

Set your computer to the same timezone as Switzerland (VSHN Main Office.)

In VSHN, we allow employees to extend their hybrid working environment to occasionally work abroad while remaining a resident in Switzerland. However, the following guidelines must be considered when doing so:

  1. If the employee works from another country for an extended period (more than one month, with a maximum of 3 months per year), their residency status and tax and social security obligations may be affected. Employees must personally comply with the relevant regulations or may be subject to fines, penalties, or other legal consequences.

  2. Confidentiality and data protection: Ensuring the employee has appropriate safeguards to protect the information and comply with applicable regulations is essential.

These employees must check with their team regarding what customers they work with who have terms not allowing their data to leave Switzerland in the SLA agreements.

Please note:

  • The above regulations make no difference whether you spend one - three months in one country at one time or of this time spread over the whole calendar year.

  • Working in our Canada office does not apply to the above and is dealt with separately by People Operations.

Request for help

Feel comfortable to request for help. Don’t spend too much time trying to figure out something that can be done with the help of others.

Know when to stop working

Usually time flies working remotely, and when you look to the clock you have done more that expected. Set a time when to "stop working." Count all hours and be strict with them.

Many others have written about best practices about remote working; here are some links to interesting articles: