Working Remotely During COVID-19

Working from home during a pandemic is slightly different than WFH outside of one. While many companies successfully work remotely, there are additional challenges and constraints we should approach with more empathy during quarantine.

• You are not “Working From Home”, you are “At your home, during a crisis, trying to work”
• Your personal physical, mental, and emotional health is far more important than anything else right now.
• You should not try to compensate for lost productivity by working longer hours.
• You will be kind to yourself and not judge how you are coping based on how you see others coping.
• You will be kind to others and not judge how they are coping based on how you are coping.
• Your team’s success will not be measured the same way it was when things were normal.

The above guidance from Jonathan Lundberg captures the sentiments I’ve tried to share with my teams in Chrome well. What I think also helps is:

• Flexibility (e.g working hours)
• Communication (help folks feel they’re not alone)
• Empathy (if you’re struggling, how can we help?)
• Boundaries (virtual good morning/sign-off time)

I understand that working from home is a privilege not afforded to everyone and if you’re fortunate enough to be in this position, be conscious that it impacts everyone differently.

Whether you’re in full quarantine or in an area easing restrictions, stay safe and healthy out there, folks!