BBG has a long history of many of its employees working from home. Recently, the rest of the team has joined in this practice. As a result, some of the newbie home workers needed tips from our more veteran home workers!
This blog post is a compilation of advice from the BBG workers who have been working from home for years. I was actually surprised by some of these suggestions but as I’ve transitioned myself into this world of remote work, I’m appreciating and embracing the tips. We hope you find these useful as we all do our part to flatten the curve of this COVID-19 pandemic!
BBG’s Best Tips on Working from Home
#1 Create a Healthy Workspace at Home
This is the number one suggestion when working from home. If possible, it’s advisable that your home workspace be separate from other spaces that you typically use for relaxing. Additionally, you want it to be one that is free of distractions so that you can stay on task. Ideally, a room created as an office will provide this. However, if that’s not possible consider creating a separate space in a corner of a room.
A particular co-worker said that keeping your personal phone away from your workspace will aid in limiting distractions. While this may not be possible if you need to make work calls from your cellphone, we do advise turning off notifications from social media, email and other phone apps that may be a distraction.
Obviously, you’ll want your home workspace to be comfortable and well-lit so here are a few resources we’ve found.
A BBG colleague who has been doing this for years, recommended this large electric foot warmer heated mat if your space is cold and/or you have the tendency to be cold. This is a nice way to experience mild radiating heat.
Working in a well-lit area, especially one with natural light is helpful for mood. When natural light is not possible, having lights that are easy on the eyes and can be adjusted for brightness is useful. Many of us use this lamp we found on Amazon.
#2 Dress for Work
Working in pajamas and bathrobes is oh so tempting!! I may or may not be guilty of doing this myself. 😉
However, our colleagues with veteran experience of working from home recommend starting the morning out by getting dressed just as you would if you were going into the office. One colleague said, “yes it’s nice to be comfortable but it may also affect your work.”
If your normal office attire is highly professional such as suits and ties, you probably would want to relax it to a more business casual attire at home.
Maybe you can even relax from business casual to something a bit more comfortable but the point is to get out of those PJs, shower and get dressed!
#3 Keep Communicating with Colleagues
It’s easy to feel isolated from your co-workers while working at home. That’s why it’s more important than ever to stay in touch with them when you work remotely. One colleague said, “sometimes you get the feeling ‘they already know what I am doing.’ But, in fact, they just need to hear from you to confirm that.”
At BBG many of us have started using Microsoft teams as a way to stay in touch.
There is no water cooler talk while working remotely so it’s important to create a space for open communication. Another option, which BBG uses for client interaction, is Zoom video conferencing. Amazingly they are offering expanded support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
#4 Take Breaks & Stock up on Healthy Snacks
Long periods of sitting still and working at a desk can produce lethargic feelings. Take appropriate breaks to get up to stretch and move.
A couple of colleagues mentioned that they are snacking more while working from home because it’s available. A colleague who has been doing this for some time gave a great suggestion of stocking up on healthy snacks such as fruits and vegetables. Fuel your brain rather than draining it!
Another colleague suggested drinking more water. It’s easy to sit at a desk and not be thirsty so proactively drinking water is a good habit to build.
#5 Boundaries
Well, this one could overlap with the suggestion to not work in your PJs but BBG’s main concern here is that our remote workers actually work too much. Dedicated workers who have home offices need to practice boundaries and know when to turn off work for the day. It’s advisable to still keep normal working hours when working at home. Actually, it becomes even more important because the separation from home and office is a short walk.
One colleague stressed this point by saying, “DON’T think that just because you are home you need to work 24/7.”
Healthy boundaries between work and home life become even more important working remotely so setting up strick hours from the start is the way to build this habit.
#6 Have a Good Co-Worker
This my favorite tip and unfortunately one that I cannot embrace in my apartment, but…how precious is that face?!
The BBG colleague who made this suggestion was kind enough to supply a picture of his co-worker.
Um. if I had this face looking up at me during the day, I would be greatly comforted.
BBG wrote a post in the past about how dogs can play a role in healthcare but how about them playing a role in creating a healthy office environment?
I’m certain that pets all across the world are happy that their masters are now working from home. After all, they are pack animals and thrive when they are with people of other pets. Additionally, humans thrive in a community so enjoy this time of sharing offices.
We would love to see pictures of your office companions so please share them with us!!
#7 Practice Safety with Your Devices
Here is a great article from the Tampa Day Times about how to keep your devices safe. The number of people now working from home has grown exponentially which means we all may be vulnerable to attackers who want to take advantage of this. As this article outlines here are some ways to stay safe:
- Update your software
- Check your router password
- Use strong passwords
- Beware of Coronavirus-themed phishing emails
Again, check out this article to read more about this.
Closing Thoughts
In closing, we are discovering this takes some self-discipline. The key to building healthy habits is to start implementing them form the beginning. Stay in touch and encourage one another; we are all in this together!
Here are some other great articles we’ve read around the web on this topic:
Lastly, if BBG can further assist you with more granular details on the following, please reach out:
- Communication software (phones, extensions, instant messaging)
- Habits (how we keep in touch deliberately)
- How our “work from home colleagues” set up their lives to remain engaged
- How to be attentive to separating work/home-worlds and be able both to “plug-in” and “un-plug”
- We can share limitations and potential pitfalls that we work to eliminate.
- How we train our dogs not to bark while we are on the phone…just kidding on that one 😉
On Friday Medicare announced the Part B rates that most Medicare enrollees will be responsible for paying in 2020. Effective January 1, 2020 the standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B enrollees will be $144.60. This represents an increase of $9.10 from the $135.50 enrollees paid in 2019.
Starting in 2007, a beneficiary’s Part B monthly premium has been based on income. Income-related monthly adjustment amounts (IRMAA) affect approximately 7 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries. The 2020 Part B premium levels adjusted for income as well as the Part D (Prescription Drug Plan) are shown in the following tables:
2020 Medicare Part B Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts
Part D (Prescription Drug Plans) IRMAA in 2020
And, If your modified adjusted gross income is above a certain amount, you may also pay a Part D income-related monthly adjustment amount (Part D IRMAA). Those amounts for 2020 are listed below.
A dog’s sense of smell can be 10,000+ times more powerful than humans. It’s no surprise that we ingenious humans have figured out how to train these loving creatures with their amazing sniffing abilities.
We’ve all seen dogs at the airport and/or in cop cars. These dogs are particularly trained to sniff out illegal drugs. However, dogs can also be an effective solution in some healthcare situations.
Disclaimer: All dogs featured in this post belong to (or previously belonged) a BBG team member. The theme photo may just happen to be the president’s dog…or should I say the dog who owns the president may just happen to be featured in the theme. 😉
Life is good!
Wait, you want me to work??
Living large
Detecting Seizures
Did you know there are seizure alert dogs? That’s right if you have a loved one who is challenged with epilepsy, there are organizations who can pair them with a trained seizure alert dog.
Here are several such organizations that we’ve come across in our research on the internet:
Ready to please!
According to Canine Partners for Life these dogs can do the following:
- Alert its partner of an oncoming seizure
- Stay close to its partner in the event of a seizure to prevent injury
- Alert a caretaker
- Fetch an alert device
- Open a door and/or turn on a light
The Epilepsy Foundation states that “dogs can be trained as service animals for people with seizures, just like they can be trained to serve people with other disabilities. The law protects a person’s right to use a service animal in any public place.”
It’s quite amazing that these fuzzy, friendly creatures can not only be our best friend but also provide a valuable service.
Diabetic Alert
Everyone needs a best friend.
Diabetes is another health condition for which dogs can be trained to detect. The key with many medical conditions is early detection. Blood sugar levels which go too low (hypoglycemia) or too high (hyperglycemia) pose serious health risks.
Diabetic alert dogs are trained to alert their partner in advance of levels becoming dangerous.
According to the American Kennel Club, “diabetic alert dogs can function as blood sugar level detectors.” While dogs cannot give exact measurements of blood sugar levels, like a blood glucose meter, they can preemptively alert their partners when levels are out of range.
If you are looking for organizations to pair you or your loved one with a diabetic alert dog, here are several organizations and resources:
Early Cancer Detection
Did you know I have 220 million smell receptors?
So if a dog’s sniffing ability is so phenomenal at early detection of certain health conditions, what about cancer? If so, wouldn’t it seem like a grand solution to have dogs in our primary care physicians waiting room? Well, we are probably a long way from that ever happening but there are dogs being trained.
However, no one can deny that some dogs are already being credited with life-saving abilities. This article from American Veterinarian has some great stories of normal dogs alerting their owners in creative ways about cancer. Many of the owners have good reason to believe their dogs saved their lives!
According to Medical News Today, dogs can detect certain cancers in a person’s:
- Skin
- Breath
- Urine
- Feces
- Sweat
This seems like a no brainer, right? It’s a low-risk, noninvasive method; however, there are still many inconsistencies.
The Challenges
Who me? I’d never present a challenge.
The first double-blinded studies were published in 2006. Dr. Klaus Hackner, a pulmonary physician at Krems University Hospital in Austria reports in this article on Scientific American.
First, let’s look at why/how dogs can detect cancers. Cells give off volatile organic compounds, also known as VOCs. According to Hackner, each type of cancer would have a distinct smell and it would be different from a normal cell.
“Given that dogs have more than 220 million smell receptors in their noses, they’re excellent animals for sniffing out disease,” Hackner said. “In comparison, humans have a ‘mere’ 5 million smell receptors in their noses,” he said.
Most dogs can be trained, in about 6 months, to detect the odors associated with certain cancers. However, the study failed due to the lab environment being set up in a way that neither dog nor handler knew if samples selected by the dogs were actually cancerous. Dogs will lose interest without positive reinforcement.
In this same article from Scientific American, Dr. Hilary Brodie, a professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of California, expounds on some arguments of why dog detection of cancer is not ideal even if the lab situation was different:
- It would take an immense amount of time and energy to train dogs on the many types of cancer.
- Dogs can have a bad day and misdiagnose.
- No test is perfect but doctors know the accuracy of certain tests such as mammograms while rates would vary from dog to dog.
Both Hackner and Brodie believe it may be more feasible to think that dogs will be aiding researchers in the creation of biochemical “nose” machines, known as e-noses.
The nose knows.
Closing Thoughts
Dogs make wonderful companions and very apparently aid in improving our lives in various ways and especially with those who are challenged with health conditions. Dogs are already making a positive impact in the world of healthcare in regards to seizure and diabetic alert.
There is more research needed before dogs can be of assistance in the detection of certain cancers. However, the good news is that they possess a valuable key component (amazing sniffing abilities) and now it’s up to us to figure out how to best train and utilize them.
We are capable of more than just looking cute.
…… that may be of interest only to me.
Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase Finally Has a Name
It only took eight months. The new nonprofit healthcare company founded by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase finally has a name. It will officially be known as “Haven”. (Maybe it’s just me, but with all the introductory splash and all the money being thrown at this thing, but ”Haven”? Conjures up visions more of a retirement home or maybe an RV resort somewhere just of I-95 rather than healthcare innovator.)
Not much is known about Haven. Data, technology, improving employer healthcare, and not-for-profit is about all we know at this point and that’s according to Haven head guy Atul Gawande.
Two unrelated but interesting things to note about Haven:
- The nation’s largest health insurer, UnitedHealthCare, views Haven as a competitor. And,
- It wasn’t that long ago (last summer) that billionaire leader of Berkshire Hathaway and Haven co-founder, Warren Buffett, indicated that a single payor healthcare system may be the most effective system for cutting healthcare costs.
Not sure what to make of it or how it will ultimately affect the group health market but it’s still interesting.
Is Health Market Fragmentation the Culprit? The Main Driver of High Costs?
Following up on Buffett’s take, I read this week that the fragmented nature of the U.S. healthcare system (from employer-sponsored group coverage to the individual market to Medicare, and Medicaid, and the V.A., and coverage for Native Americans – is primarily responsible for today’s high cost of healthcare coverage? Could that be an over simplification? How would simply merging those lead to lower costs?
We’ll leave that for others to figure out.
In the meantime, we’ll just keep working hard on finding new and meaningful ways to mitigate the high cost of coverage for our employer groups and their employees.
Buying and Selling Health Insurance Across State Lines
The Interstate sale of health insurance is back in the news this week with the government’s release of a fifteen-page document requesting commentary. Some see this as surefire way to increase competition and ultimately lower the high cost of health coverage. Others see it as simply adding more chaos without much gain. My sense is maybe both. Some short term gain as well as adding to the chaos. Overall, seems like at best it may temporarily treat a symptom but doesn’t won’t move the needle much toward a cure.
We’ll see if it gets traction.
If it does get traction it will be interesting to track the unintended consequences as, sure as shootin’, there will be some.
- Tom Barrett
- March 8, 2019
- confusion, cost, costs, coverage, employees, employers, health plans, healthcare, insurance, medical, medicare, states, trends
- 0 Comments
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