Working from Home

According to the Association for Commuter Transportation, 85 percent of workers in the United States are currently working from home. SEMCOG employees are following the governor’s order to “Stay Home, Stay Safe” as we continue working to serve to our member communities. We are starting our seventh week of working remotely.

My family and I are working and schooling at home, and it feels like we are more adjusted to the change and finding our rhythm. My husband is teaching art virtually to college students. While they continue the classroom curriculum, they are also sharing the experience of living through this pandemic. Students (some reluctantly) have returned to their parents’ homes, and they report missing their friends and independence.

I’m continuing to work with the Southeast Michigan Commuter Connect program, which encourages commuters to take an alternative way to work. Much of the current focus is on how essential workers can most safely take the bus and, of course, best practices for working from home. With our work continuing during this transition, we realize that much of work is more about what you do and less about where you go.

Many organizations had to implement long-term telework programs with only a few days’ notice. This isn’t the same telework we were familiar with just a few months ago. This is socially-distanced remote work, in which our lives changed very much and very quickly. Some of us have been thrust into working alongside our partners, while also managing virtual learning for our children. Those of us who have worked remotely for a while are no longer able to visit our favorite “office” spaces at coffee shops and libraries, where we may have taken short but important breaks for personal interactions. Don’t dismiss the significant impact this is making in our lives and the challenges that come with sudden changes.

Here are some tips to help make this a smoother transition:

Employers:

• Document telework experiences in order to enable future evaluation.
• Acknowledge, encourage, and appreciate employee flexibility and ability to work differently during a time of crisis.
• Respect the transition to working from home. This is a time to use emotional intelligence and empathy. Each employee is in a different situation that can be changing hourly due to family, health, and financial difficulties. Give people the benefit of the doubt until you have reason not to.
• Discuss flex-time for employees with kids at home or those dealing with their own illness or that of a loved one.
• Update internal webpages daily with news and tips for managers and employees.
• Encourage open conversations about challenges and emphasize positive reinforcement.
• Video conferencing: Connect visually whenever possible.
  • It gets employees camera-ready, and it allows us to read nonverbal cues. This is very important during a time when people might be struggling with this new way of working. Teams are more likely to collaborate when they are able to interact visually.
  • Before a video conference, consider what co-workers will see behind you (potentially offensive or distracting pictures or posters), and avoid back-lighting or having a window behind you.
  • Let people know ahead of time if you could have a barking dog, cat across the keyboard, or a child running behind you. Share possible disruptions.
  • Keep yourself muted when you’re not speaking, and remember to un-mute when you have something to say.

Engagement and Fun:

• Humanize and connect on a personal level. Continue creating a sense of fun and support.
• Post and share fun ways to take a break; new recipes you are trying; new workouts (without going to the gym); and pictures of pets, walks, kids, and workspaces.
• Share music playlists, podcasts, shows, or movies you’re watching, and how you are getting your steps in.
• Celebrate a week well-done, project completed, and birthdays via video; everyone can have coffee and a treat together.

I hope these resources and best practices are helpful to you and your work. As many of us continue to adjust to a new working normal, it’s important to remember we are all in this together. SEMCOG is here to help you. Please let me know how it’s going for you.

As we look forward to getting back to our offices and having the kids go back to school in the fall, I hope this experience exposes the possibilities and benefits of working from home. And remember, work is what you do, not where you do it.