Are you in, out or shaking it all about?
I’ve just had a week off work with the family and it was awesome. We went glamping in Dumfries and Galloway. The weather was sensational, no really, I’ve got a tan! We were in the hot tub every day, we hiked, we swam, we set fire to stuff (marshmallows) and generally had a wonderful time together.
Tomorrow it’s back to the office and while I’ve loved the time off, I like to get stuck into my work. It’s an exciting time. I have a national conference coming up, we’ve doubled capacity in a recent business launch and there’s a whole host of new staff members starting this week too.
Being off last week gave me some space to breathe and consider what I value in my career. My freelance roles offered more in the way of freedom to work from wherever I wanted and less stress around having to ‘check in’ or ‘be visible’ all the time. However, self assessment tax returns and late payers of invoices added additional stress to simply putting food on the table.
It’s a delicate balance, isn’t it? I can’t help but think that employers that put people first are winning. Encouraging email switch off after office hours. Offering remote working with the autonomy to do your job to the best of your ability. Encouraging holiday uptakes and not carrying days over. 30 days holiday PLUS bank holidays off. Imagine a 4 day week!
My sister has just negotiated a brilliant agreement with her employer. For the month of August she’s going to relocate to Toronto, Canada, but still continue in her fully-remote role. She’ll have to work from 3am – 11am in order to match the UK office time for meetings etc but the whole rest of her time is totally independent and HELLO, she’s moving to Toronto! It’s never been done at her organisation before so she’s developing policy to make it possible for others. Her manager and SLT have been wholly supportive and have pledged to use the experience as a learning tool. Progresssssssive!
Back to balance. I know loads of people who are now fully back to the office. Some prefer it, some are hating it and looking elsewhere for remote roles. I’m interested in those workplaces that are also trying to achieve a balance. The ones where the trades people can’t do their jobs remotely (let’s say – kitchen fitters/carpenters) but the planners and customers service team can. What about delivery drivers? Obviously they have to drive their vans, but the customer service staff don’t NEED to be in the office to answer calls or reply to emails and social messages, right?
How are businesses navigating this challenge and achieving a balance that works for all types of employee contracts? Is it fair to offer one employee hybrid, when others cannot carry out their role from home? I’m not convinced there is an easy answer. All I know is my own lived experience. Remote work has led to a more fulfilling home life, greater personal investment and a belief in my own ability to achieve outstanding results – from my kitchen table!
Where are you working right now?
Kate Reilly James 