Working from home is part of the new reality during COVID19. Businesses and employees will have accpet that online collaboration such virtual meetings (Zoom, Teams, WebEx, Skype) which may include babies, kids and pets is normal. People are also getting creative with their virtual meeting backgrounds too.
Those that have had to make the transition from working from the office to working from home have had a month to adjust. Remote work may suit most people but working remote in COVID19 isn’t your standard working from home scenario. You can’t leave the house and if you do, its only for necessities such as food and grocery runs.
Aris Mauloy, an IT professional at Wawanesa Insurance and along with thousands of employees across Canada, he’s had to make the switch. His days starts off by waking up 15mins before work, grabbing a coffee and opening his laptop. His son sometimes takes over his workstation throughout the day too. Eating lunch with family and not missing the drive downtown is part of his daily routine. On Microsoft Teams, Aris still collaborates with his team in a weekly 30 minute call which includes Jackbox and Mixer to play games to connect and interact. He misses the office, the people and striking up non-work related with different people.
Joan Presto works for Canada Life and she’s enjoying remote work because there’s no commute, getting ready for work is a lot quicker and unlimited access to coffee. Another plus is being home for deliveries. She misses her team, wearing nice outfits, chatting with colleagues and the social events at Canada Life.
For myself, I also enjoy the quick commutes from the kitchen to my makeshift workstation in the basement. My 2.5year old son, also known as my executive assistant has his picnic table, “laptop” setup right next to my workstation. I take the occassional break with him to play basketball or pretend I’m on a beach with his superhero figures. If I’m on a Zoom or Teams conference call, he’s there to say hello and wave. It’s normal, accepted and people enjoy seeing that.
