My husband and I have both been working from home since the middle of March. Given we live in a very small 1 bedroom flat, our set up on the dining room table is pretty cosy, but functional!! Until one of us needs to have a conference call (which Michael is on constantly)!! Our kitchen bench has doubled up as a desk on more than one occasion!
For 9 weeks I was kept busy WFH, but I found out a few weeks ago that I was being furloughed, most likely until the end of June. To be honest, I would rather still be working (it’s a nice distraction and makes me feel useful), but I’m in week two of furlough now, and starting to get the hang of it! The gorgeous weather has been a big help! It’s important to keep a routine (I could very easily waste the day in bed!) so I set my alarm, make some personal calls/emails/messages to friends and fam in the morning, do a lunch time yoga/pilates Zoom class, spend some time reading, blogging, cleaning or cooking, and go for a long afternoon walk!
Michael is still working, so I try to keep out of his hair! His whole company has taken a 20% pay cut for three months (and meant to be same cut in hours but realistically that isn’t happening), but we are not spending anywhere near as much as normal, and my furlough is at full pay (80% covered by the government, the rest by the organisation I work for). We are both so grateful to still have jobs and money coming in. I know how tough a lot of people have it now. I have many friends who work in the travel industry who have been hit especially hard. Some governments are helping more than others, but the economic impact of COVID 19 is devastating for many and there is still a long road ahead.
There are pros and cons of working from home. It was something I never considered doing before, but I love not having to commute and being able to work in tracksuit pants and slippers! There are also far less distractions which is a bonus and helps with productivity! I know that wouldn’t be the case if we had kids and were trying to juggle home schooling at the same time. I do miss the social aspect of work and having colleagues at hand to ask questions or brainstorm with. Microsoft Teams has been great in that regard! My employer has been excellent with supporting WFH especially around mental health, feelings of isolation and keeping in touch. Now that more people have seen the benefits WFH can have, it’s opened it up to a lot more companies as a viable option. Post Coronavirus work life could look very different for some of us.
What’s work life been like for you the last few months? Can you work from home? Do you think it will change the way we work in the future? I hope you’re all managing as best you can and have the support you need. How do you feel about going back to work as/once restrictions are lifted?
stomalicious 