I’ve been working from home for a while now, right after the first weekend in March as a matter of fact. I was on the mainland for a conference that weekend and, because I was in contact with so many folks, I sequestered myself at home with the permission of my employer.
I am profoundly grateful that I’m still employed and am able to work from home in world where that is truly a luxury. Yes it can be a little trying, but only a little, and absolutely nothing like what a lot of my friends are going through; some on the frontlines in health, and yes, retail, and others now on the unemployment line. So no, I’m good.
But here’s the thing I’ve been finding. Somehow it seems I’m busier than ever. I’ve been trying to puzzle it out and some of it makes sense.
The first thing that comes to mind is this. At my workplace I have two monitors. I generally put whatever I’m referencing on one side and whatever I’m actually doing on the other. I have pretty big monitor at home, but not quite big enough to put both screens of material up. So I find myself switching between virtual screens. It’s a tiny little problem, but it does add a few seconds swapping screens and finding myself. Do that enough times and hour and you’ve added a couple of minutes to the hour. Do that for eight yours a day, and you’ve added to your day.
I know, a luxury problem, but it’s still a thing. A tiny thing.
The next big time suck is that talking to people takes longer. At work we can meeting person, go over a document together, and voila, problem solved. Now we have to negotiate an electronic communication, share screens, and…well…there you go. It just takes longer.
My work isn’t any harder and I’m pretty good at what I do, but I am slowed down just a bit by this and that and now, after a few months of this, I’m beginning to notice.
Having said all that, I’m not complaining and I hope this post isn’t interpreted as that. I’m happy to have my own fridge just behind me, a real espresso machine as well, and the ability to do what so many other are doing, dress shirt, sloppy shorts.
And that leads me to something I learned at the end of week. Our company is opening back up and bringing back some workers. There’s a schedule of folks who should be reporting to work at the office. We are also doing a lot to reduce the risk of working in close quarters by strictly limiting how close we can be to each other. That means a lot of our desks are going to be unused for now. Further, some workers will be coming in for some things, and working at home for other things. When they come in, they won’t have an assigned desk, they’ll use a workstation (with proper disinfecting) used as needed.
I’ve been given my designation for returning and it was this:
EVENTUALLY. PLEASE TAKE YOUR STUFF HOME.
I have never once packed up my stuff at an office and taken it home without also losing my job. It’s first. I’m one of those people who has been designated as necessary to operations, but not needed to be physically present.
Yes, working from home has a few idiosyncrasies, but I am truly, truly grateful that I can work from home until, well, eventually arrives.
I’m a happy guy. And yes, I do realize just how lucky I am to be in the position I am during this, or any other, time.
Mahalo.
BTW – That comic is from the Invisible Bread web comic. Check ’em out.
