Working From Home

Remote work was the future and the future is now.

Seriously though, the concept of remote work started way back in the 1990s when personal computers and the internet allowed people to work offsite for the first time. I've been reading about it "being the future" for quite a long time now, and while many organizations have adopted remote work in some capacity, it feels like a lot of organizations are stuck in the past in this regard.

Or at least they were until COVID-19 pushed them kicking and screaming into the future. Adapt or die, I suppose? I'm curious to see how popular the concept is once things start going back to normal.

I've been fortunate enough that my employer already had a pretty nice remote work policy, in that they allowed each department to determine the specifics of their rules for themselves and all employees have a laptop with a travel bag and power cord ready to go. Specifically, my department allows everyone to work from home four times a month without any reason and unlimited additional times if there's a solid reason behind it (like if you're expecting a big package delivery that you don't want stolen). As such, I was prepared for what to expect when my employer announced that working remote would be the new normal for the foreseeable future.

For those of you new to remote work, here's some interesting statistics about remote workers that might make you feel less alone:

46% wear sweatpants or yoga pants
62% work equal or fewer hours than at the office
34% start work late
50% are also cooking
21% are also watching TV

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to share a photo of my home workspace with you all today. I'm fortunate enough that we've got a spare bedroom that we use as an office and exercise room, which is where I'm working during the pandemic:

And because it's much prettier, here's my partner's workspace in what was originally meant to be her crafts corner of the basement. She even has a window:

For those of you now working remotely, how's it going for you? Where in your home are you working?

Stay healthy and sane!

-Ryan

Comments

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Ryan's COVID-19 Chronicles

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