This page presents CSCS' recommendations for hybrid/blended working for several scenarios. However, if your requirements are different or you have any questions, we are happy to discuss, so give us a call on the CSCS Service Desk on 01223 (3)36261 or log a ticket directly using the CSCS Portal https://itsupport.medschl.cam.ac.uk as there are many options available!

Scenarios

Scenario

Currently I have no equipment

I have an existing desktop PC

I have an existing laptop

I've been using my own personal device

Department Responsibility

Things You Will Need

Fixed Desk Hybrid Working - working remotely & at your own fixed desk in the office

Buy our recommended /wiki/spaces/SD/pages/28379798 & Hub Monitor with a USB headset *

We do not recommend using/moving a desktop PC between your home and office, so we suggest buying our recommended /wiki/spaces/SD/pages/28379798 & Hub Monitor with a USB headset *

This is the best solution as you can travel between your home and office easily with your USB headset.

You may also want to consider buying a Hub Monitor in one or both locations *

We do not recommend using a personal device.

Consider buying our recommended /wiki/spaces/SD/pages/28379798 & Hub Monitor with a USB headset *

You may want to consider buying a Hub Monitor for both home & the office locations *

When you travel between the office & home, you will need to travel with your own headset & laptop power supply

Shared Desk Hybrid Working - working remotely, at a shared desk in the office

Buy our recommended /wiki/spaces/SD/pages/28379798 with a USB headset *

We do not recommend using/moving a desktop PC between your home and office.

No desktop PC will be provided on a shared desk, we suggest buying our recommended /wiki/spaces/SD/pages/28379798 with a USB headset *

This is the best solution as you can travel between your home and office easily with your USB headset.

You may also want to consider buying a Hub Monitor for use at home *

We do not recommend using a personal device.

Consider buying our recommended /wiki/spaces/SD/pages/28379798 & Hub Monitor with a USB headset *

We suggest the shared desk should be set up with our recommended Hub Monitor *

You may also want to consider buying a Hub Monitor for use at home too *

When you travel between the office & home, you will need to travel with your own headset & laptop power supply

Using a dedicated Shared Video Room

No desktop computer will be provided in a video room.

A laptop will be needed.

No desktop computer will be provided in a video room.

A laptop will be needed.

No desktop computer will be provided in a video room.

A laptop will be needed.

We do not recommend using a personal device for office use.

A video room should be set up the same as a shared desk set up with our recommended Hub Monitor *

If you wish to use a shared video room, you will need to travel with your own headset & laptop power supply

* You can add an external mouse & keyboard, webcam, or laptop stand as an optional extra in one or both locations if needed

Scenario Descriptions

Fixed Desk Hybrid Working - a person that works from home as well as in the office & has a allocated/designated fixed desk in the office (that is not shared by other people)
Shared Desk Hybrid Working - a person that works from home as well as in the office & has access to a shared desk/hot desk in the office
Shared Video Room - a dedicated fixed space to be used by anyone in the team/department where private calls can be made, & not a meeting/seminar room

Hybrid Working Good Etiquette Guide

Desktops v Laptops

A desktop PC doesn't really support hybrid working particularly well. If only one device is purchased it assumes that whilst at home, you have another device available to work on which is not always the case. Note - desktop computers are not designed to be transported frequently & could easily be damaged in transit & invalidate any warranties
A desktop PC doesn't really support shared use particularly well either. If you want more than one person to use a desktop PC, it can cause issues with software, time to get logged in/up & working. Also only one person can use it at a time, which is why we recommend using a laptop.
Whilst possible, we do not recommend using a personal device due to data & security compliance.

Shared Desks

It is difficult to get both laptops & desktops working on the same office desk for multiple people, so it is best for each person to have their own dedicated laptop which offers greater flexibility.
If you want people to share desks & they have different laptops with different operating systems, such as a Dell laptop (Windows) & a Mac laptop (MacOS) then this may reduce your functionality: for example, although a Mac laptop can connect to one external monitor, it won't support the connection of two external monitors (to provide 3 screens in total) whilst a Dell laptop would.
If a cabled network connection is not available in the office, it is suggested that in the office you use WiFi (eduroam), UniOfCam or an appropriate alternative & then connect to the VPN to access various systems, data etc.. if needed.

Monitor Suggestions

If you would like 2 monitors at home &/or in the office, we recommend this additional standard monitor, which works best with the recommended Hub Monitor. Please contact us to discuss the various options.
If you would like more than 2 monitors at home &/or in the office, we recommend using 3 standard monitors & a /wiki/spaces/SD/pages/28379816. Please contact us to discuss the various options.
You may want to consider buying monitors for both home & the office locations

Note: our new monitors only come with 1 x DisplayPort cable, so you may need to purchase additional cables.

Video Call Suggestions

Remember, you don't always need to make a video call in a video room, it can be done at your desk wearing a headset.
When you are not speaking, put yourself on mute. It reduces any background interference interrupting you or others on the call.
If you have them, make sure your headset & webcam are plugged in first before booting up your device, that way Teams will be able to detect the correct set up more easily.
If you want to use a headset at home & in the office, it would be best if you travel with it.
Some people may have ergonomic requirements with regards to keyboard, mouse, standing desks etc.. so this should be factored into any space planning.

Hot Desking

If you are moving around between desks or plan for staff to do so, please note that the network is not set up to allow seamless transition between rooms, floors or sometimes even offices. Network addresses are allocated based on a single location which makes managing hot desking difficult. In order to work around this, anyone who doesn't have a network connection will need to connect to Eduroam WiFi and then use the VPN to access any IT resources that are secured behind the firewall just like you would have when working remotely. Please see this guide for help on getting connected to Eduroam: https://help.uis.cam.ac.uk/new-starters/it-for-students/student-it-services/wi-fi. Devices that do not have wifi should not be used for hot desking.

Additional Recommended Peripherals

Webcam - https://uk.insight.com/en_GB/shop/product/960-001065/LOGITECH/960-001065/Logitech-HD-Webcam-C310--webcam/
USB-A/Audio Headset - Product | Jabra Evolve 30 II MS stereo - headset (insight.com)
External Mouse - https://uk.insight.com/en_GB/shop/product/570-AAIR/DELL/570-AAIR/Dell-MS116--mouse--USB--black/
External Keyboard - https://www.uk.insight.com/en-gb/productinfo/keyboards/0001459780

If there are any questions we are happy to help discuss options, just give the CSCS Service Desk a call!

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