Working from home

Use Microsoft 365 to communicate with colleagues and the virtual private network to access University resources.

If you haven't attended the following sessions, IT Services and CEED (Learning Technology) have made them available to watch online:

Read the latest IT news for further guidance on cyber security and other working from home tips (University sign-in required).

 

What to take home

When staff plan to work from home, they should take their:

  • laptop
  • charger
  • carry bag

If you have been issued a headset, take this home as well. Otherwise, your laptop has a built-in camera, microphone and speakers which you can use.

The University provides hybrid workers with a single monitor, keyboard and mouse to use at home.

Relevant policies

Communication

Emails

Use your University email to receive corporate communications, make enquiries or follow-up with colleagues and students.

Meetings

Schedule meetings as usual through Outlook, including online meeting details using Teams. This means recipients can join remotely.

You can invite anyone to these meetings, including externals and flexible workers.

Making calls

Use Teams to call other staff members. If you need to call an external, invite them to a Teams meeting.

Online chat

Send an instant message to start a conversation with colleagues. Use Teams to make audio and video calls, share your screen and start a group chat. Go through the Microsoft Teams Demo: Meetings and chats if you haven't used this before.

Make sure your notifications are turned on so you don't miss anything.

Contact IT Services to enable Teams for staff members on flexible contracts. Teams isn't usually available for them but IT Services can enable it on request.

Projects and group work

If you haven’t already, create a Team and invite the people you work with to join. A Team keeps conversations and files in one place and allows you to create different channels to suit your tasks.

Teams should open and sign in when you start your computer. If it doesn’t, please sign in so colleagues can contact you. If it’s not installed in your device, install it from the Microsoft website.

If you haven't used Teams before, try the interactive demo first.

PDMS courses

Online guides

Relevant policies

Virtual private network

The University's VPN is called Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client. You can check if it's installed by searching 'Cisco' in your Start Menu. If it isn't already installed, you can download it from the Software Centre. Before you connect to the VPN, make sure:

  • anti-virus is installed on your device
  • you've checked that your device is up-to-date, with the latest security patches

When you should connect to the VPN

  • to access University systems like network drives, SITS or Data warehouse
  • if using public wifi
  • to check for Windows updates (do this every two weeks if you're out of office for long periods of time)

Handling files

Move frequently used files to OneDrive or Teams whilst working from home so you don't need to connect to the VPN, rather than downloading them to your device.

The University recommends that you keep strictly confidential information in your network drives.

Guides

Using a personal device

Staff members using their personal laptops or PCs when working from home should:

  • download F-Secure antivirus software for free from Apps Anywhere
  • ensure strictly confidential and confidential information isn't downloaded to the device
  • not save passwords for University systems or select any 'keep me signed in' options
  • enable firewall to protect your device from online threats