Seven ways to remain productive during an office power outage

Power outages can and do happen, often when you least expect them to, and they can cause a great deal of frustration when you’re trying to get work done. But you shouldn’t fret too much. If a power outage does occur when you’re in the workplace, then there are ways and means by which you can remain productive and ensure your day isn’t wasted. Consider these seven plans of action.

Maximise battery life

If you’re working from a laptop and the power goes out, make sure there are no programmes on your device that are draining its battery unnecessarily. Close and stop all programmes that you don’t need for whatever task you’re working on. Also turn on power saving mode.

Install a UPS

In times of outage-induced need, a UPS, or uninterrupted power supply, will definitely come in handy. If you need to work from your computer, then a UPS will keep it up and running on its very own battery. This means that you’ll still be able to get offline tasks done on your computer. If, however, you’re dependant on there being an online connection in order to do your work, then there are other options available to you, such as our next suggestion.

Find a Wi-Fi network

A power outage might make Wi-Fi connectivity an impossibility within the bounds of your office, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find an area nearby where Wi-Fi is in generous supply. The prevalence of Wi-Fi in today’s age means that a nearby coffee shop can easily supply you with the internet access you need to get your work done. So, if you’re working from a laptop, bring it with you to the nearest café and make that your workspace for the day.

Work with the old pen and paper

You might not have a UPS and you might not work from a laptop. No matter. You can easily use a pen and paper to get some work done, be it planning for an upcoming presentation or brainstorming ideas for an important project. 

Have a meeting

A power outage can provide the perfect window of opportunity for you and your team members to have an impromptu meeting. There are surely always tasks, projects, presentations and events that need to be prepared for by your department, or even by the company as a whole. So, when a blackout occurs, why not suggest a group huddle inside a boardroom where ideas can be shared. Once again, make sure the boardroom has natural light.

Complete administrative tasks

When the office atmosphere is bustling it’s very easy to forget about tasks that are merely administrative or menial. These could include cleaning your desk or organising whatever paperwork you have lying around. If you have enough battery life or a UPS connected to your computer then you could spend some time organising your files, perhaps even clearing out a few in order to give yourself more space on your PC.

Work from home

When all else fails, it’s a good idea for you to simply pack up your stuff and head home to get your work done. If there’s no internet at home then focus on a task that doesn’t require a connection and make sure that you’re available on mobile. In fact, before you leave the office, tell your colleagues that they can contact you via your cellphone if need be.

A power outage at work isn’t something to worry about too much. There are many ways of getting around this minor frustration, and you’ll find yourself capable of spending your day productively.