The Etiquette of Working from Home

Numerous companies have adopted a work-from-home policy in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Since then, video conferencing and webinars have become a new norm during working hours. This sudden change, however, has left many people baffled at remote working etiquette.

On April 23, William Zyzo, Managing Director of Z&A Knowledge Solutions and Advisor to AmCham Taipei’s Advanced Learning Lab, completed a popular series of AmCham online seminars entitled “How to Have the Impact of Face-to-Face Interactions Online.” Here is his list of advice on how to look good on screen:

Clothing: Put on proper attire even when working at home; appearance affects people’s perception of one’s professionalism.
Camera: Have cameras level with one’s head. Don’t have the audience looking at your nostrils. Stack up display screens (with monitor stands or books) if necessary.
Lighting: Keep the lighting coming from above. Sit close to windows if possible, since natural light is preferable.
Background: Keep it clean, nothing distracting.
Audio: Keep microphones off when not speaking in order to prevent unwanted noise from interrupting conversations. It is also important to find a quiet place to conduct video calls.