The document provides guidelines for companies on having employees work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses how working remotely can help minimize virus transmission. Recommendations include establishing work schedules, finding a dedicated work space, taking breaks, and maintaining communication with teammates through video calls and messaging. The challenges of remote work such as disconnecting after hours and loneliness are also addressed.

1. working remotely
guidelines for
COVID-19

2. COVID-19 and
working remotely

3. COVID-19 and
working remotely
COVID-19, or Coronavirus, is considered a
pandemic by the World Health Organization
(WHO). Preventative measures can
minimize its transmission, including having
employees around the world temporarily
working remotely.
UNDERSTAND THE GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS SITUATION

4. Specialists recommend working remotely
as one of the ways to flatten the epidemic
curve of COVID-19.
Other essential actions to avoid the spread
of Coronavirus include washing hands
regularly with soap or using hand sanitizer.

5. COVID-19 and
information
To stay up-to-date on relevant information and the latest
news about Coronavirus, access:
Organização Mundial da
Saúde
Ministério da Saúde
BBC Brasil
G1 | Bem Estar
Café da Manhã (Podcast)
O Assunto (Podcast)
World Health Organization
(WHO)
Coronavirus: Fact vs Fiction
(Podcast)
The Daily | Learning to Live
With the Coronavirus
(Podcast)
CNN International
CNN Latam
Secretaría de Salud
El Universal
Organización Mundial de la
Salud

6. COVID-19 and prevention
In addition to good hand hygiene, use appropriate disinfectants to
keep your workspace clean, including your phone, computer, etc.
Avoid sharing personal objects and keep rooms well ventilated. It
is also important to avoid crowds and close contact with other
people (such as shaking hands, hugging or kissing).

7. MORE WAYS TO PREVENT TRANSMISSION

8. Best practices for
working remotely

9. Working remotely allows the employees of a
company to work from beyond the office.
It can be permanent or temporary.
Working remotely is a possibility for companies
where tasks can be performed and managed at a
distance, making use of specific tools or other
advances in technology.
WHAT IS
WORKING
REMOTELY?

10. working remotely
prerequisites for
EQUIPMENT
● Laptop (with charger);
● Headset;
● Fast and reliable internet:
○ Avoid sharing the internet while working.
○ Opt for a wired connection instead of wi-fi.
SOFTWARE
● Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari
● Google Hangouts and Chat, Slack
● Zoom
● X-Lite (or Bria Solo)

11. Challenges of
working remotely

12. Data from a survey by Buffer show the
main challenges faced by remote workers:
1. difficulty disconnecting after work;
2. feeling lonely;
3. collaboration and communication;
4. distractions at home.
Watch out for signs of these!

13. Facing the
challenges
of working
remotely
#1 Establish a schedule
Having a routine contributes to productivity. To achieve this, set a time to start
and finish your workday. Try to keep a consistent schedule and organize your
availability on Google Calendar.
#2 Find a quiet place
To make concentrating and participating in meetings easier, choose a
quiet environment and set up your workspace. Even when out of the house
(coworking spaces or cafés), try to find calm locations.
#3 Boost alignment and commitment
If you live with other people, reinforce alignment about your working hours
and need for privacy. Remember that it is important to avoid noise or other
potential productivity distractions (like the TV or phone).
#4 Create a productive routine
Establish daily and weekly goals to meet — whether delivering tasks or
making progress on determined projects.

14. Facing the
challenges
of working
remotely
#5 Take breaks for lunch and snacks
When organizing your productivity routine, set aside moments for breaks and
to rest. Stick to your routine and avoid personal tasks during the time you
should be dedicated to work.
#6 Be available on chat and keep up with email
During your working hours, keep chat open. If you need extra concentration
during a meeting or task, turn off notifications.
#7 Be available to communicate at any time
When working remotely, distance between colleagues can lead to symptoms
of loneliness. To make up for this, use available tools for voice or video
conversations. Likewise, keep sharing thoughts, opinions or ideas with your
team, through chat.
#8 Know when to unplug
Respect your own work schedule and set a time to finish the day. Rest is also
important!

15. Be available and accessible
Use the communication channels available to inform about
possible breaks (lunch, snack or rest). You receive a message,
but you’re busy and can’t answer right away? Communicate
that!
Communicate frequently and relentlessly
Don’t let questions go unanswered or reduce their importance.
Any relevant questions should be asked.
Respect the schedule and time of your colleagues
Respect the privacy and availability of other Rockers. Be sensitive to
the time of others.
Communication when working remotely

16. When to email?
Subjects that aren’t urgent or include
a larger context about the situation
should be initially dealt with by email.
To make communication easier, set a
deadline for an answer and share all
possible (and relevant) information
about the issue.
When to chat?
Specific or urgent questions can be
dealt with through chat. As good
practice, avoid marking @all unless
absolutely necessary.
When to call?
Urgent questions that require a
quick decision should be handled
with a call. It’s good practice to
previously align by chat the
possibility of starting a video call
at that moment, or to schedule an
appropriate time for all.
Chat, email or call?

17. Good
communication
practices
#1 Think about who should be in the loop
Before adding people to an email exchange or a meeting, remember to
evaluate the need for their participation and how they can contribute to
aligning or making a decision. In some cases, it can be more practical to just
let the person know what is happening (including them in an alignment email,
but not a call).
#2 Be direct, but give context
In chat, short and direct phrases are essential. At the same time, always be
polite and remember to give context about the issue.
For example: “Hey, how are you? Can you help me with information about
project X? I want to know if content Y has been produced.”
#3 Use private channels when necessary
Questions useful for the whole team should be shared publicly. If it’s a
sensitive issue not relevant to colleagues, use private communication.

18. How to enable working hours on Google Calendar?
1. Go to Settings on Calendar;
2. Look for the Working Hours menu;
3. Set your hours.
communication
and availability
#RemoteRocks

19. How to turn off Chat notifications?
1. Go to your Chat status;
2. Select how long to mute notifications.
communication
and availability
#RemoteRocks

20. How to schedule non-working time on Calendar?
1. Create a new event;
2. Set it to “Out of office”.
communication
and availability
#RemoteRocks

21. Keep your direct leader informed about your weekly productivity.
Share every week:
1. Reports with high and low points;
2. Attention points and suggestions related to your work and/or customers;
3. Red flags or opportunities.
communication
and productivity
#RemoteRocks

22. Meetings when
working remotely

23. Mute your microphone
When you’re not speaking, remember to mute your microphone.
This is essential for clear sound for all participants.
Turn the camera on
To bridge the distance and build trust, always turn the camera
on when participating in a remote meeting. It’s important to
understand that part of communication is nonverbal, through
gestures and expressions.
Look at the camera
To participate in a remote meeting, avoid distractions that come
from other open tabs. Concentrate 100%! Focus on what the call is
about — the same way you would in a face-to-face meeting.
Meetings when working remotely

24. BEFORE A MEETING
● Always schedule meetings
ahead of time when possible,
and check all participants’
availability on Google
Calendar.
● Set the meeting objective and
communicate it to
participants, to ensure that all
are on the same page and can
thus contribute.
● Agree on which platform will
be used for the meeting, so
participants can be prepared
and installed any necessary
software.
DURING THE MEETING
● Start the meeting in a friendly
way, greeting participants and
asking them how they are.
● Go over the agenda, listing the
topics to be covered in the
meeting.
● Orient participants about muting
their microphones when others
are speaking, but keeping their
cameras on. This way, if
someone wants to speak, they
can raise their hand. Other
gestures can also be aligned,
such as thumbs up for
agreement, etc.
AFTER THE MEETING
● Share a follow-up email with all
participants, covering the main
points from the meeting, the
next steps and who is
responsible for each.
Before, during and after meetings

25. Questions?
Ask your direct leader.

26. Stay healthy,
stay strong and
keep rocking!