“Work from Home” Just Got Real
A few articles ago I used the analogy of treading water versus making the decision to swim to shore in my article on the Looming Emotional Crisis. I think this same analogy holds for those who have been using a temporary workspace for the past few months. Many are lucky enough to have a dedicated office or room to work, but for those kitchen counter heroes or makeshift desk jockeys, the thought of a more permanent situation may be downright frightening. One of the first hurdles many will need to overcome in the coming days/weeks is a permanent shift to “Working Remote” and deciding what is an acceptable long-term solution. Strangely enough, even as an existing remote worker I had to come to a similar conclusion a few weeks ago.
Prior to COVID my role was at least 50% travel while I worked from home. My family was absent most of the working time due to school or work. Virtual meetings with video were a rarity and therefore my camera pointing to the entry hallway wasn’t a big deal. Until “Video Killed the Radio Star” (sorry, couldn’t resist) when the family became full time occupants; my existing office configuration just did not work. A shift of my desk (and camera) was an interim fix that I could tolerate short term. It wasn’t until the crushing reality hit home that travel was unlikely for a large portion of the year that I needed a more permanent solution.
Like treading water, I think the reality of the news of late is going to force many to start to consider more permanent solutions beyond the kitchen counter. But you have to wonder, as the permanent shift to remote/virtual work begins, where does the line between Corporate and Personal Responsibility lie when it comes to the Home Office. In the past week I saw a LinkedIn post of the CEO of Achievers pictured with a trailer full of office chairs towed behind his vehicle. He was personally delivering ergonomic office chairs to his employees working from home. Is this the new Corporate Work from Home standard being raised?
Much has been written lately about wellness, myself included, when it comes to work, working from home, work/life balance and the emotional crisis that will hit our collective organizations. But is there an Ergonomic Crisis coming as well? Back in my Corporate Office days, we were able to request an Ergonomic Assessment for workstations. It usually came with a “better than standard” office chair and some other tools, i.e. Monitor Stands or wrist guards. Ergonomic Safety was big in preventing carpal tunnel, neck, back and eye strain problems. And as far as I know, all are still concerns for those working on computers at home. But where does the line exist now for a company that, in the name of safety, is telling it’s employees to stay home. Are we trading one risk for another?
Is it beyond consideration that in lieu of the office space consumed by organizations, the savings in a reduced lease space could result in a series of packaged solutions for working remote? Consider the possibilities of pre-packaged, pre-paid work from home kits delivered to employees, from basic to deluxe. New employees at a cubical level might be offered a basic internet package, minimal adjustable desk (or standard desk), ergo chair, monitor (possible dual) and computer set-up (including webcam and headset) as the basic package. Levels of finish, additional peripherals and or bandwidth could be variables as you go up the payscale. I imagine something through Amazon, Office Depot or another provider working with the organizational Human Resources Department to purchase/expense and deliver the items to new employees.
Keep in mind there may be a flaw in my design, this will most likely be a direct expense cost that is not recoverable, other than the computer, to the company. Most companies lease their furniture, so that whole model will need to be scrutinized. But hey, I’m the Editor here so I can speculate. Would these costs potentially off-set costs attributed to the Ergonomic Claims employees may submit working in less than ideal set-ups?
The “new” costs may weigh out in the end. Beyond claims, consider how the reduction of one-third of office staff will impact other aspects, say commuting for instance. The time savings alone for an average of two hours a day would have numerous benefits. Beyond the reduced traffic congestion, there is savings in stress, exhaust (pollution) from less idle time and vehicles off the road, in addition to the savings many of us are seeing in reduced vehicle insurance premiums.
This time could be leveraged for work, but also for more of the personal flex time that so many desire. Employers may see increased levels of satisfaction and engagement, while also selling their “eco-benefits” of being a Greener Organization. Something that was a priority just a strange few months ago. It will be interesting to see how the various economic and wellness modeling play out over the next few months in this bizarro human experiment that 2020 has become.
So, back to the kitchen heroes and makeshift desk jockeys. I’ll leave you with a few tried and tested tips I’ve come across in my time working from home both pre and post COVID. My first tip is for your connectivity. Cable or Fiber (if you can get it) are essential. 150mb should be the minimum if you can arrange it to ensure solid video and VOIP quality. Next, don’t stop there and skimp on the modem and router. Forgo the “provider modem” and go buy a good one at Best Buy or on Amazon. You are most likely paying a rental fee on the provided modem and will save in the long run. Routers, the more powerful, the better the range and reliability of your connection.
We’re not quite done on the tech, three words: Back Up Power. Make sure to plug your modem and router into an APC (battery back-up) surge protector. You’ll thank me the first time the power flickers in the middle of a WebEx. If you are on a laptop (which most are) that battery will sustain you and you’ll never lose your wifi connection.
My next tip, invest in a good chair. Don’t go on looks alone. A good chair can make a huge difference, especially since its not likely you’ll be wandering down to your co-workers cube, office or conference room. I went for looks and it was a huge mistake. My research has me zeroed me in on an affordable, yet solid ergo choice: the ErgoChair2 from Autonomous. There’s a huge gap between the Office Depot models and what we may have become accustom to in our offices. The ErgoChair seems to fit nicely in-between the two for price point and quality.
I’ve been lucky to work from home for the past five years after working in Corporate Offices for close to 20 years. I must say that at first I wasn’t sure I could survive not being in an office, but in all honesty, at this point I don’t see how I could ever go back to a Corporate Office Space. 2020 will forever be the year the phrase “Work From Home” took on a whole new meaning. With the news coming out daily of “till the end of the year” or “indefinitely;” it’s clear that Working from Home will take on a whole new level of scrutiny from both employer and employee. One thing is for sure, the pre-COVID work environment will look nothing like the post-COVID environment.