Working at home or becoming a virtual assistant does not imply that you are exempted from the ‘professionalism’ requirement of your employer. Be reminded that despite being in a more comfortable zone, you still have to practice habits, which would ascertain that your work performance will not be tainted by slacking or behavior portraying less commitment.

It is your obligation to ensure your employer that despite having the convenience of easily reaching your loved ones or amenities of your home, you will never be losing focus. One way you could sustain professionalism while working at home is through discipline. However, what are the means of exhibiting this trait?

A few below might help:

Being on time. Being tardy would never give your employer a good impression. This shows that you do not give consideration to the others in the company, especially if the others are office-based. Simply imagine their efforts to reach the office on time. They have to wake up very early and travel. As for you, your work could be a foot away from your bed or a few steps from your bedroom.

You have a lot of reasons not to be late and you have more time to prepare beforehand. You are not required to don an office attire either, which gives you less time to prepare.

Setting up a dedicated home office. Yes, you are never restricted to a single space when working. However, be reminded that your concentration would not be greatly affected if you are in an area where fewer distractions are present. Moreover, setting up an environment, where you would feel you have to put your mindset to your job solely, is highly helpful in one’s performance.

Simply imagine having to sit in the living room where most of your loved ones stay. From time to time, you would not be able to help yourself but mingle with them. If you have a superb control of yourself, it is highly likely that they will enforce the distraction.

By having a dedicated home office, you could shut yourself out from the rest of your abode while working. This gives you full attention to what you are doing. You will not simply have a higher chance of finishing your work early, but ensure your efficiency is not jeopardized.

Following a strict schedule. It is best that you follow the schedule your employer has set for your work. This will not simply put your mindset in work mode. Instead, it could also give you a chance to plan your activities at home effectively. You may even use your schedule to set rules in the household.

For instance, if you are meant to work from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., you may inform your loved ones that you are not available to handle any chore between those times.

Even if your employer allowed you to have a flexible schedule, wherein the delivery of the work is what matters most instead of hours accrued, this practice could still apply. You should still set your mind and body to work on a specific time, so as to ensure you are concentrated on what you have to accomplish.

Not taking advantage of easy absence/ leave application. While it is true that working from home gives you the perk of leaving work much more easily, this should not be practiced. Take note that your employer expects you to behave as a dedicated office employee and value your work.

You should never abuse whenever an employer gives you a lot of allowances in missing your job. This will only give him or her more reasons to give you up. Who would even want to keep someone, who cannot even assure one’s presence or assistance anytime?

You are not prohibited from taking leaves or absences, but do it with discipline. Consider the situation of your employer, as well. Before filing your leave, it is also best to check whether the season is a busy one or the contrary. If it is the latter, then maybe you may continue seeking for absence approval. Otherwise, delaying it would be helpful. It would also show that you are not simply thinking of yourself, but the rest of the organization, which should always be.

Sustaining the trust of your employer. Discipline can be clearly showed when you do not take advantage of your situation and employer’s trust. There are cases that remote workers tend to work on multiple jobs simultaneously, for they think they would never be caught. Obviously, they cannot be monitored personally. This will always cause you harm, even if your employers do not find out what you are doing.

Multitasking is not recommendable. The quality of work is always not at par the employer’s standards and often than not, it results in errors and repeated work.

There is nothing wrong with taking on various jobs to earn more, but do it with discipline. For instance, you already have an 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. part-time work, then you should only accept another position if the hours are beyond the said schedule.

Prove to your employer that you will offer what is expected of you — dedication to your work.

By practicing the given means of exhibiting discipline, you would not be having any issue with your employer. Be reminded that your personality weighs more than your skills at work. With the competition in the online industry, having both good personality and skills will give you the edge.