Here's a slightly odd question for today: We've talked a lot about task-batching, how saving up similar tasks to do all at once can save time and preserve focus. So with the rise of the hybrid workweek, let's talk: Are you saving some tasks to do at the office, and focusing on others when you're WFH? (To what extent does face time or “looking busy” enter into this?)

For example, I could see someone being 100% devoted to internal company messaging while working from home in order to preserve the appearance that you're engaged and actively working. I've even seen TikToks where people rig a system to move their mouse around so they maintain their green “online” dot.

Obviously I would save printing or reviewing physical documents for the office… I hate phone calls in general so I could see benefits to saving that for the office, both for a “not in my space” perspective as well as “If I'm talking about work then I'm clearly being productive” perspective.

{related: how to make the most of face time at the office (CorporetteMoms)}

How about you guys? What tasks do you save for the office, and what tasks do you prefer to do at home?

Stock photo via Deposit Photos / AndrewLozovyi.

The post What Tasks Do You Do at the Office vs WFH? appeared first on Corporette.com.

I think most offices, at this point, have transitioned from their pandemic policies to whatever is next for the company policy — I know this can create a lot of flux! I'm curious: What is your ideal work location, if you could choose? What is your current work situation, and does it reflect your ideal?

Here are the questions:

• How has your company's policy changed, and do you think it's still in flux?
• Are you in the office all the time, or only some of the time?
• Do you still have your own office or cubicle, or are you hot-desking?
• If you're remote for some or all of the time, do you prefer to WFH — or somewhere else, like a coffee shop?
• (If you live with other people, how has their situation(s) affected yours?)
• What is your ideal work location, and are you seeking a new job because of it (seeking all remote work or all in-office work?)

I'd also wonder how seniority plays into this — I've seen a lot of chatter about how hard it is to teach new lawyers how to be lawyers remotely, for example.

As I noted back in early 2020, also, working from home doesn't necessarily mean working from your kitchen table. Some people prefer to go to coffee shops, libraries, or even hotel lobbies to get their work done. Having your own office, set up just for you, makes a huge difference also! Depending on your company policy, you could even become a digital nomad and live elsewhere in the country or world.

What is your ideal work location this year — office, WFH, remote, or hybrid?

Stock photo via Stencil.

The post The Ideal Work Location: The Office, WFH, Remote, or Hybrid? appeared first on Corporette.com.

The idea behind standing desks and “walking desks” has been around for YEARS at this point — and yet this is the first time I'm actually considering one for myself. My concern has always been that I wouldn't want it for my full-time desk — and I worried I might fall off a treadmill. Still, I've seen so many influencers who seem to adore their folding treadmill (and in small spaces!) that they use while shopping or doing light computer work, and I'm really tempted now.

This folding treadmill from Amazon is one of their best sellers, with 7000+ reviews. I like that it has a non-slip running belt, is compact and foldable (70 lbs), and has handles that you can use or not. It's marked to under $350 today.

Readers — do you swear by a standing desk or walking desk? What is your setup (and, any tips?)? Do you have this at home or at your office?

This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

Sales of note for 7.19.24

• Nordstrom – The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is now open to everybody! Here are all of our picks, and here are reader favorites.
• Ann Taylor – Semi-annual sale, extra 50% off markdowns + 20% off everything!
• Banana Republic Factory – 40-60% off everything, take an extra 20% off your purchase
• Eloquii – 50% off select styles
• Everlane – Up to 70% off
• J.Crew – End of Season Sale, extra 50% off sale styles
• J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off everything
• Lo & Sons – Summer sale, up to 50% off
• Madewell – End of season sale, up to 70% off with code.
• M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the biggest sitewide discount I've ever seen…)
• Rothy's – Lots of great finds in the “final few” section
• Talbots – Semi-annual red door sale, extra 40% off markdowns

The post Gift Idea: Under Desk Treadmill appeared first on Corporette.com.

A few weeks ago readers had a mini-discussion on how to make a hybrid work situation more efficient, which I think is a great topic for this day and age. Those of you who are in the office 2-4 days a week and allowed to work from home on other days, what are your best tips to making the hybrid work, work?

Here's the reader question:

For those of you who do a hybrid WFH situation, where you are in the office 2-3 days and home 2-3 days, do you have any tips for handling not being in the same place everyday? I really thrive on routine, and not having that makes me feel weird. I also have FOMO on what my coworkers get up to, and a brand new associate who I want to be available for. Maybe that’s ok and a hybrid thing isn’t for me, but I am really trying to wrap my head around what I know to be true – being able to work from home a couple days a week can be really great, if you make it great. And being gone a couple days a week isn’t really going to make me miss out on anything or harm my associate.

{related: our best tips for hot desking}

(First, a fun fact: as reported by the WSJ, a new study suggests that 2 in-office days a week, not 3, is the sweet spot for hybrid work.)

One reader noted the key to her success is a predictable schedule where she's WFH on certain, preplanned days. “It’s too stressful for my brain to have to consider options and reconsider options all the time. I also try to schedule meetings for the days I’m in the office. I haven’t yet figured out what to do with things like paper files and records, which are currently all at home.”

Another reader echoed her sentiments, noting

I think it’s ideal if you have predictable days in office, and use them differently-more meetings, mentoring, and small tasks/email in the office and then use home days for focused work on bigger projects.

{related: how to be a good remote worker}

Readers also noted that for supervisor/mentoring type roles you could do telephone check-ins regularly on WFH days so they know they don't need to save up their questions for formal meetings or in-the-office days.

Over at CorporetteMoms, we've rounded up advice from moms who work at home frequently, and one noted that she especially loves working from home on Thursday/Friday: “[I]t’s a nice way to start wrapping up the week, particularly when combined with ‘summer hours,’ (which run from the end of May—Sept.) that allow us to work only a half-day on Fridays.”

{related: 30 random work-from-home tips}

Similarly, when we've discussed how to make the most of face time at the office, we've shared tips such as visiting people's desks, cubicles or offices just to check in, as well as lingering after meetings and showing up for happy hour when you can. (This is probably the one downside for choosing Friday as your WFH day!)

We've also rounded up mistakes to avoid when working from home over at CorporetteMoms, in part inspired by reader threads here on Corporette about things people hate about WFH culture — one of the biggest mistakes people make personally is not keeping an eye on career growth. As we noted there:

Not growing enough in your profession [is a big pitfall to avoid when WFH sometimes or always] — I recently heard a speech about how most women “fail” in their careers at least once because they turn into one-trick ponies, and I think it's doubly hard to push for new skills or “growth” work you're not ready for if you're off people's radars.

Readers, what are your thoughts — those of you who are in the office 2-4 days a week, what are your best tips to make the hybrid work situation more efficient and predictable? What are the major struggles you're coming up against as you try to make it work, and what gaffes are you seeing colleagues and subordinates make?

The post How to Make A Hybrid Work Situation More Efficient appeared first on Corporette.com.

Whether you were already working remotely in the Before Times, or you were suddenly introduced to working from home in March 2020, you probably learned quickly that the right laptop accessories for working from home make you more comfortable and more productive. Today we're rounding up the Corporette/CorporetteMoms team's favorite laptop products (and laptops!) to improve your WFH days.

What are your favorite laptop accessories for working from home?

This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

Kat's Favorite Laptop Accessories

I just got a new HP laptop for about $600, and I love it — I was replacing an older Chromebook that my youngest helpfully destroyed, more or less. I didn't mind the Chromebook for some work, but photo editing/reviewing was difficult on it, Dropbox seemed perennially difficult to access, and I had to convert Excel and Word files into Sheets and Docs in the cloud.

(I was thrilled to see this lifetime license for Microsoft Office for $50, and bought it for my laptop.)

Another new thing I got for the Chromebook that I'm liking is this ombre silicone keyboard cover. I've never had one before, but, er, have often had problems spilling things on my laptop. (I even had my only Mac laptop die because I spilled a martini on it — they said it wasn't the gin so much as the lemon that was the problem. Sigh.)

Anyway, I like that it's protecting the keyboard, I love the color/touch of personality it adds, and I even like the rubbery feel of typing on it. Mine was $6.59 at Amazon — make sure you search for your exact computer model, and pay attention to keyboard layout when purchasing, since some don't have a caps lock key or have the delete key in a different spot. (I wish I could get one for my desktop keyboard as well, but they don't seem to make them for my ergonomic one.)

{related: essential items to keep at your work desk}

Kate's Favorite Laptop Accessories

When my HP laptop died last year, I was lucky enough to have my engineer husband offer to do a bunch of laptop research for me, so when we eventually went to Best Buy (I prefer to buy laptops in person), it was pretty easy to choose from among the options. I got a Lenovo Yoga 7i for $700 (now $775 at Amazon and $850 at Best Buy) and I've been really happy with it. The only thing I'd change would be to add an SD card port, but when I transfer photos from my DSLR I just use this USB-C external SD card reader.

As for using my laptop, I had been using an old lap desk to work from home for years, and when the top layer started to peel off recently, I did some browsing and settled on a much nicer bamboo one from LapGear ($32.96 at Amazon). I've had it almost a month, and I like it a lot. It's not too heavy, and with my 15-inch laptop, it leaves just enough room for my ancient Logitech wireless mouse. Other laptops offered phone slots, cupholder areas, etc. (see below), but I just wanted a flat surface, because all I put on it besides my computer are post-its. Pictured is chestnut bamboo; it also comes in natural bamboo.

Speaking of bamboo, I also really like my bamboo cable management box I wrote about in yesterday's Coffee Break, which is where I plug in my laptop.

{related: how to work from your bed}

Elizabeth's Favorite Laptop Accessories

When my office went remote in March 2020, I spent the first several weeks perching my laptop on various configurations of books in order to get the screen to an appropriately ergonomic height. The problem with that was that 1) it wasn’t particularly stable and 2) the books had to be moved from room to room while “two weeks to flatten the curve” stretched out into months and I tried to set myself up with a more permanent work station.

Enter this humble laptop stand from Amazon: inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to adjust. It was simple to bring my laptop up to an ergonomically-appropriate height so that I could type on my portable keyboard without feeling the strain in my neck, and equally simple to adjust the stand to a slightly higher height for a more flattering camera angle for long Zoom meetings.

Now that I’m back in the office, I’m not using it every day, but I still use it to prop up my laptop in the kitchen to watch movies while I meal prep, or plop it on my coffee table to Zoom with friends. (Yes, my college roommates and I are still doing this at least monthly after two years, and we all love it!)

The stand is $25.49, marked down from $34.99.

Ann's Favorite Laptop Accessories

Even though we moved nearly a year ago, I still haven’t set up my home office. For now, I’m moving between the two ends of my living room couch. If you have a similar at-home work setup, consider upgrading your workspace with this lap desk. I’ve been using mine for several months and wish I’d bought it sooner!

This lap desk fits a 15-inch laptop and features an integrated mousepad, phone slot (I think my phone is a bit too big, as it falls out, but I end up sticking other things in the slot like a pad of post-its), and a comfortable dual-bolster cushion. There’s even a little ledge so your laptop doesn’t slide off. I find mine sturdy, yet lightweight enough to carry around. (There’s even a handle.)

LapGear’s Home Office Lap Desk is $39.99 on Amazon. It comes in six finishes (I have the faux marble one) so you can find one to suit your taste.

I was using my daughter’s old (tiny, bright purple) remote-schooling mouse, and it died so I upgraded to this one.

This wireless mouse is easy to install (no software, just plug in the receiver), features an on-off switch for longer battery life (up to three years), and several customizable buttons (which I haven’t changed from the default settings). I find it comfortable to hold (I have hands on the smaller side), and simple to use — the scrolling and movement are smooth. I should have given up the tiny purple mouse sooner.

Logitech’s M705 Marathon Wireless Mouse is $32.83 on Amazon.

Readers, do tell: What are your favorite laptop accessories for working from home? For those WFH, are you doing a hybrid arrangement, or are you still working exclusively from home?

Stock photo via Stencil.

The post The Best Laptop Accessories for Working from Home appeared first on Corporette.com.

Let's have an open thread today, readers — how important is work-from-home flexibility to you, going forward? I know I've seen a lot of readers commenting on both sides of this issue — that WFH is NOT for them, while others don't miss their commute and time in-office. It sounds like some companies are going to offer work-from-home flexibility as a regular perk, while other companies can't wait to get back to the office.

So let's discuss: how important is work-from-home flexibility to you going forward? If you're looking for a new job, is the flexibility to work from home sometimes a must-have for you? Do you like some balance between remote work and being required to be in the office sometimes? For those of you who think a mix of the two is best, do you prefer if the majority of your colleagues are back in the office on the same days (i.e., everyone shows up on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, while everyone works from home Monday/Friday) — or do you feel like some other equation is better?

For my own $.02 – I've obviously been working from home for a LONG time (wow, ten years at this point). I have always felt that there is room for improvement in my personal productivity, focus and attention, whether in office or at home — but I can also say that for me, in general, I vastly prefer working from home.

I wrote before about how 2020/2021 have not been truly representative of the remote work experience — a high proportion of households were home, people couldn't work somewhere other than home due to social distancing and shutdowns, and entire offices needed to adapt to what was maybe new technology and methods if they didn't have many staffers working remotely prior to the pandemic. It's been a rocky road for sure!

Over to you, readers — what are your thoughts on WFH versus going to the office? How important is work-from-home flexibility to you going forward?

Stock photo via Stencil (woman wearing pink pants working with laptop on her lap while drinking a fancy coffee).

Sales of note for 7.19.24

• Nordstrom – The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is now open to everybody! Here are all of our picks, and here are reader favorites.
• Ann Taylor – Semi-annual sale, extra 50% off markdowns + 20% off everything!
• Banana Republic Factory – 40-60% off everything, take an extra 20% off your purchase
• Eloquii – 50% off select styles
• Everlane – Up to 70% off
• J.Crew – End of Season Sale, extra 50% off sale styles
• J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off everything
• Lo & Sons – Summer sale, up to 50% off
• Madewell – End of season sale, up to 70% off with code.
• M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the biggest sitewide discount I've ever seen…)
• Rothy's – Lots of great finds in the “final few” section
• Talbots – Semi-annual red door sale, extra 40% off markdowns

Some of our latest posts here at Corporette…

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

• Is there a mantra or slogan that will help me combat imposter syndrome?
• AITA for not moving to the middle seat to be closer to my husband on a recent flight?
• What are your latest favorite nonfiction books for fans of Mary Beard?
• I'm so annoyed by people who look at their smart watches instead of paying attention to our conversation…
• Let's have a secrets thread…
• I need tips on managing employees in BigLaw who have to leave for daycare pickup…
• I'm thinking of leaning out to spend more time with my family – how can I find the perfect job for that?

The post How Important is Work-From-Home Flexibility To You, Going Forward? appeared first on Corporette.com.