As many of us continue to adjust to new rhythms of working, we asked the GY team to share their experiences in adjusting to their new daily routine. Each of us are different and what works for one person may not work for another. Our hope is that by sharing individual perspectives on the challenges faced and the tips that have helped, we can learn from each other in developing our own personal routines.
So have I settled into a new working from home routine? No, not really. I have seen lots of working from home blogs and tips and they all seem to stress the importance of maintaining a routine. Over the last few weeks the normal working day seems to have gone completely topsy-turvy. Suddenly timekeeping doesn’t seem quite so important, it’s more a case of trying to fit stuff in as and when I can. No commute or nursery run to worry about now
but a much less structured day and week.
My job BC (before Covid) has always been fast-paced and very reactive. Clients call in to book temps and we work quickly to fulfil their requests. It’s great and I love my job because the time passes quickly and gives me a sense of completion and achievement at the end of each working day. I live in Kent and have a daily commute of about 1.5 hours each way. Since becoming a mum two years ago, I have always really cherished that alone time, time to myself to watch TV on my iPad and relax.
At the moment our work has changed dramatically and has largely involved dealing with queries from temps who have sadly lost their jobs and passing on the bad news that their role is no longer required. It has been very difficult to do this. Such a worrying time for all of our clients and our many of our temps have been with us for years and are like part of the family.
Working from home is challenging with a two-year-old and a partner who has just started a new job. After three months of
unemployment, he was very lucky to find work and start in early March. He is working for a London borough and is very busy with constant phone calls/conferences, writing up briefs and documents concerning Covid-19 and working to deadlines. We are all trying to exist in a small space; two of us working and one demanding a lot of attention. We share our desks with playdough, crayons and George Pig.
So the interruptions are constant and our daughter needs a lot of care and attention. She will entertain herself for blocks of about 5-10 minutes with various activities before calling out for us. She has enjoyed jumping into my seat whenever she can and bashing away on my computer or pretending to answer the phone by saying ‘Hello Gordon ates’ Although I do not want her to watch TV all day or become a YouTube zombie, those are the only things which keep her quiet for any length of time.
I am missing the atmosphere of Gordon Yates. We are a very close company with a strong
family feel. Having been there for almost ten years, it is very sad not to see colleagues every day. We are keeping in touch with Microsoft Teams and WhatsApp but still I miss the banter and camaraderie.
However, there are many things to be grateful for and I do think about this every day:
A job and a one which allows me to work at home
Health
My family
A supportive team
Living in a quiet area with wide streets for running/walking and social distancing
The fields at the end of our road for daily walks and toddler exercise
A garden
Technology
Many people are struggling at the moment, but sharing those struggles and trying to focus on the things to be grateful for definitely helps me keep a positive mindset.