Working from Home

Rahul's company allows employees to work from home a few days a week. He sets up a home office and manages video meetings with his team.

Meanings in Rahul, Priya, Team members (on video call)

Key words and phrases

work from homedoing office work from one's own houseHe works from home on Mondays and Fridays.

home officea space set up at home for workHe set up a small home office in the spare room.

video meetinga meeting conducted over video callHe has a video meeting with his team every morning.

productivitythe amount and quality of work completedWorking from home improved his productivity.

deadlinethe time by which a task must be completedHe submitted the report before the deadline.

distraction-freea space or time without interruptionsHe needs a distraction-free space to focus.

collaborateto work together with others on a taskTeams collaborate online using shared documents.

flexible hourswork timing that can be adjustedHis company offers flexible hours for remote work.

work-life boundarya clear separation between work time and personal timeIt's hard to maintain a work-life boundary at home.

remote teamcolleagues who work from different locationsHe manages a remote team spread across three cities.

internet connectivitya stable connection needed to work onlinePoor internet connectivity disrupted the call.

virtual backgrounda digital image shown behind a person on video callsShe used a virtual background during the meeting.

muteto turn off one's microphone during a callPlease mute yourself when you're not speaking.

screen sharingshowing your computer screen to others in a video callHe used screen sharing to present the report.

standup meetinga short daily meeting to share quick updatesThe team has a standup meeting every morning.

time zonea region with a specific standard timeOur clients are in a different time zone.

coworking spacea shared office space used by different peopleShe sometimes works from a coworking space nearby.

ergonomic chaira chair designed for comfortable, healthy postureHe bought an ergonomic chair for his home office.

async communicationcommunication that doesn't require an immediate replyThe team relies on async communication for updates.

burnoutextreme tiredness caused by long-term stress from workTaking breaks helps prevent burnout while working from home.

Useful sentences

Ask Do you work from home on Fridays?
Answer Yes, I work from home twice a week.
Ask How do you stay productive at home?
Answer I set fixed hours and avoid distractions.
Ask What time is your video meeting today?
Answer It's at ten in the morning with the whole team.
Ask Is it hard to maintain a work-life boundary?
Answer Yes, sometimes it's difficult to switch off after hours.
Ask How does your team collaborate remotely?
Answer We use shared documents and daily video calls.
Ask Is your internet connectivity stable at home?
Answer Yes, I upgraded my broadband plan last month.
Ask Do you attend the standup meeting every day?
Answer Yes, it starts at nine thirty sharp.
Ask What time zone are your clients in?
Answer They're usually five hours behind us.
Ask Do you ever work from a coworking space?
Answer Sometimes, when I need a change of environment.
Ask How do you avoid burnout while working from home?
Answer I take regular breaks and stop working on time.

Dialogue

PriyaHow is working from home going for you?

RahulIt's good, but I need a proper home office to focus better.

PriyaWe can set up the spare room as your workspace.

RahulThat would help a lot, especially for my video meetings.

Team MemberRahul, can you share your screen for today's update?

RahulSure, give me a moment to share it.

Team MemberThanks, also can you mute yourself when you're done? There's some noise.

RahulSorry about that, I'll mute myself now.

PriyaBy the way, don't forget your standup meeting starts in ten minutes.

RahulRight, I'll wrap up this call and join it on time.

Common mistakes

Saying "work from the home" instead of "work from home" — no article is used before 'home' in this phrase.
Saying "do meeting" instead of "have a meeting" or "attend a meeting."
Saying "balance work and life" without "boundary" when specifically referring to keeping the two separate — "maintain a work-life boundary" is more precise.
Saying "close your mic" instead of "mute your mic" during a video call.
Saying "share screen" instead of "share your screen" — the possessive 'your' is needed in this phrase.
Saying "I am feeling burnout" instead of "I am feeling burned out" or "I am experiencing burnout."

Quick quiz

1. What is a "home office"?

2. Colleagues who work from different locations are called a ___.

3. Complete: "It's hard to maintain a work-life ___ at home."

4. What does "async communication" mean?

5. Complete: "The team has a ___ meeting every morning."

6. Extreme tiredness caused by long-term work stress is called ___.

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