Still working from home in 2021?
We finally waded through the quicksand that was 2020 and came out on the other side: 2021. Woot! But, what does this mean?
For many working parents, it means continuing to work from home, homeschool kids, and, overall, survive.
As working from home becomes more normalized, accepted, and desired by many, what are some ways that we can incorporate this into a "way of life" vs. a "just surviving life"?
Before we get into that, there is some great data about how many of us want to continue working from home permanently, or at least multiple days a week once it's safe to go back into an office (especially for companies that have open floor plan offices):
87% increase of people working from home by 2025 based on pre-pandemic levels, according to CNBC
61% of white-collar workers want to work from home indefinitely, even post-pandemic, according to USA Today
25-30% of workers will be remote multiple days per week by the end of the year, according to data produced by Global Workplace Analytics
What does this mean for me?
It means that if you want to have the flexibility of working from home, the trends are working in your favor.
To recruit and retain the best talent, companies must have the mindset that working remotely is desired by many employees and will no longer be looked at as a perk but instead as an expectation.
And as we expect the ability to work from home, we need to change our minds to view our new work life as a "way of life" and not a temporary "just surviving life."
How do we do this?
Here are some ways that you can help make this a permanent shift:
Set up a permanent workspace
Many of us set up makeshift workspaces that were meant to be temporary. But, to make this a lasting arrangement, we need to have an office that we’re happy and comfortable coming into each day, hopefully for years to come.
Maybe this means giving yourself a budget (no matter how small) to make a few updates. A comfortable desk chair. A chic lamp. Some peaceful pictures on the wall. Or, maybe this just means finally hanging up your college diploma or some of your child's artwork.
If you're looking for home office inspiration, The Spruce and House Beautiful have some innovative ideas.
Get on a schedule
We know you have meetings that are scheduled throughout the day, but do you have other important pieces of your day scheduled, like lunch and a couple of 10-15 minute breaks to stretch your legs?
Remember those days that you went into the office? You certainly weren't sitting at your desk all day – there were meetings you walked to and plenty of time spent talking to co-workers at their desks. You need to make sure that you're moving around while at home too!
Get your kids on board
As we hopefully move toward a post-pandemic state of mind and your kids go back to school and daycare, schedule time in your day to have breakfast together. Make sure you block off time to meet them at the bus stop after school or pick them up in carpool. Catch up on your days as you walk or drive home. Get them a snack and set up for homework and then finish up your workday.
Look forward to being able to step out of your workday to attend a party at your daughter’s daycare or join your son for lunch at school, once we can safely do these things again.
Talk to your manager
Finally, talk to your manager. Let them know that you want your remote work situation to become permanent, whether that's 100% of the time or a certain number of days a week.
Remember, you are not alone. So many people want the same thing!
You've shown that you work productively at home, possibly more than when you were in the office.
You can also go over all the reasons why working from home is a better fit for you. Here's my list of reasons:
More flexibility with my time
Ability to drop off/pick up kids at school or just the bus stop
Family dinners
No commute!
Save money on gas, vehicle wear, lunches out and work clothes
Of course, everyone's list will look different based on your home and family situation and whether you desire to work remotely all the time or a certain number of days each week.
More tips on what to say to your manager can be found in this article on themuse.com.
Final Thoughts
Let's face it, we're in 2021 and still in a pandemic. The outlook is good, but so many things happened in 2020 that changed our lives and, for many of us, the way we look at our jobs. We hit a wall on normalcy. But, for many, the pandemic put our lives back in perspective, which meant that a lot of people decided they wanted to have more flexibility. Because ultimately, flexibility leads to more family time.
As we move forward, hopefully companies will recognize that to keep the best employees (which means keeping them happy), there is give and take. Having a salary is one aspect, but taking extra hours of our lives through commuting and the expectations of working more to get ahead, may not be accepted anymore. And if giving employees flexibility with remote work allows them to have more balance in their lives, I think that makes the change worth it.
Just for fun
If you're really interested in research about COVID-19's impact on working from home, check these out: