Working remotely is highly convenient not only for the remote workers, but for the employers at the same time. Instead of setting up big office spaces, you no longer have to worry about delaying your operations as long as your virtual assistants are set. You simply have to ensure your company’s files and applications are accessible in any unit regardless of location. 

However, the aforementioned convenience can be disrupted by many problems, such as power outages. When blackout hits, it is common that virtual assistants tend to leave work early or miss their entire shift. 

Fortunately, there are ways for remote workers to prepare against power outages. All it takes is following these simple tips:

Keep yourself updated to the power maintenance schedule. At present, electricity providers use various platforms to keep their customers notified when power maintenance will be done. You should take advantage of this, such as by following their social media pages. You may also request for updates via e-mail or SMS.

Make sure your devices are charged after use. You should make it a habit to charge your devices after use. For instance, following your daily shift, ensure that you charge your laptop and mobile phone. At the very least, you can be certain that the next day you utilize these devices, they are fully functional despite the possibility of power outage affecting your area.

It became a practice for most remote workers to only charge their equipment whenever the battery is low. This should be avoided, regardless of whether your location is prone to blackouts or the contrary.

Prepare a backup internet always. Besides charging your devices, you should also have an alternative internet connection. Power outage implies your wired internet will no longer work. 

Apart from saving credit for mobile data, if you are using a wireless internet device, you should also make certain that this is fully charged always.

It is also helpful if you are near an area, such as a restaurant or café, which offers free internet connection. This could be an option if you ran out of solutions for the backup internet.

Nonetheless, this tip goes hand in hand with the second one. Even if you have a way out from your internet issue, but your PC or laptop has no power backup, you still would not be able to work.

Maintain your generator properly. If you have a portable generator at home, it is imperative you follow the procedures in maintaining it. Aside from keeping a stock of fuel, you should also see to it that it undergoes periodic inspection for issues. Moreover, you should consider oil change, battery power check, and battery cleaning among others. By doing so, you would not have any issue using it in times of blackouts.

Set a go-to place as an alternative home office. There is a possibility that power outages may last for days, particularly if the damage is due to natural disasters. In this instance, it is advisable to find a place that you could set as your home office temporarily. For instance, an available co-working space you could rent for a short period or a friend’s house that you would be welcome to stay in for a while.

With the given tips above, you would be able to report as normally as you could despite power outages. Simply keep in mind that missing work due to blackout could mean a lot of things, such as missed deadline, attendance issue, delayed team members’ work due to your late input, and overall poor performance record. These could be prevented by being proactive in dealing with power outages.