WFH to WFA is my prayer for 2021
Today marks a year of work from home for me. This time, last year, I logged in to work from my desktop for probably the first time, knowing that I had at least a month before I could return to the office again. Little did I know.
12 months and several computer, chair and table upgrades later, I would consider myself a seasoned work from home professional. Gone are the days of scrambling to download Zoom, coordinating with the tech support teams for VPN and figuring out the best spot in the house to work from. (Like Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory, I also took my sweet time in finding my spot).
A year later, I can say I have learnt a lot about how global teams work. WFH taught me quite a few things, listing some of them here for you to agree/disagree with.
For me, WFH increased efficiency. The simple fact that I did not have to scramble at the end of a long workday to buy groceries and could work that into my daily schedule was a boon during the lockdown.
While the reporters from my sector cannot really WFH all the time, I got to see a newspaper being produced largely by teams working from all over the country. My team, as part of digital, worked with several sections, including the website desk, the video team and the reporters and photographers, to continue maintaining our presence on social media.
Sure, there were many (many) days when we would work long past our logout time, which might not have happened if we were in office. But in retrospect, for me at least, the satisfaction levels were higher.
Financially, WFH makes much more sense. If I can ensure a steady connection and a workstation, I end up saving a lot on travel (fuel and stress due to Bangalore traffic). Coupled with the lack of options of heading out and spending money, we did save a sizeable amount during the year.
As a recently minted diabetic, Covid has been hard. The daily updates listing the patients with diabetes and those who lost their lives to Covid, having diabetes, made for scary reading. But WFH kept me safe and sane, allowing me to work without worrying about the risks of travel every day.
I honestly believe teams that can work remotely, should do so. Not only does it improve your communication (and tech) skills, it gives you that leeway in your personal time which most of us sacrifice during the first 10–15 years of our careers. I personally wouldn’t mind sitting with a laptop at home, if I get to walk around the house every now and then, maybe make myself a healthy glass of juice (instead of office/roadside coffee/tea) or even wear comfortable clothes while working.
Did I blur the distinction between office and home, sure I did. Did I overwork? Sure I did. Am I unhappy? Definitely not. WFH spurred me to ideate, look for different solutions instead of the tried and tested path which went for a toss due to the pandemic. I interacted with far more people during my WFH then I would have in the office. The pain points and logistical nightmares brought us together as a team much better than an already set up office system could ever have.
Having said that, would I go back to the office anytime soon? Sure. But definitely not for a 9 to 5 or even 6 times a week. I believe for many of us, Covid changed the idea of what work is exactly. It doesn’t have to be a fixed place or time, it has to be something you enjoy. And long as you are good at it, it doesn’t matter when or where you log in from daily. Hope that 2021 brings peace and safety and we graduate from WFH to work from anywhere.