For those of us who have worked remotely for years, remember when you would apologize in advance that a child or dog might cause an interruption? Or, you said nothing and just crossed your fingers that the call would go smoothly. I think much of these thoughts came from not wanting the person on the other end of the phone to know you were working from home – were you really working? Did you prefer that they imagined you in some 20 story high-rise building surrounded by people in suits?
When the COVID lockdown happened, things changed. The entire world seemed to be working remotely. There were funny situations where children could be seen sneaking around during a Zoom meeting (my favorite video!) or a cat climbing all over a desk. It was amusing and brought a bit of levity to the situation.
Now, four years out from those lockdown days, many are back to working in the office. However, there is still a large number working remotely. Here is my question, have you reverted back to apologizing in advance for possible interruptions? Do you think people may judge you because you work from home? Have we as a workforce reverted back to the pre COVID mindset that most of the workforce should commute to work and is more productive that way?
I personally get more accomplished in my home office. Time is not being wasted chatting with coworkers who stop by, my work hours start earlier and spill into the evening with no worry about the commute. These are just a few of many advantages. The conversation around remote work is ongoing, and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. What are your thoughts?
