As a longtime WFH worker, I realize I am a fish out of the water as it relates to commutes, water cooler talk, and even face-to-face meetings. It’s more natural for me to be on conference calls all day while juggling life at home.
Though I am used to being remote, things changed in March of 2020, as it did for most of this world. The pace of work went from 55 to 100 MPH overnight for most industries while the rest of our lives went on lockdown. Office employees, without practice or prep, were thrust into WFH living.
What used to be a negative stigma to be called a WFH employee is now a growing trend and will most likely be here to stay.
As a prideful WFH worker, I have attempted to keep my work life separate from my personal life. There has always been an unspoken expectation in workplace culture for WFH employees to mask what’s happening in our homes while working. This has put extreme pressure on being more professional, being heard and seen (especially in hybrid meetings), and overperforming to potentially qualify for promotions.
At the start of the pandemic, I felt the slap in the face to see the world working from home with no boundaries, little respect for the mute button, and a blurred vision of work/life privacy. Yes, I get it, we all have personal lives or families at home, but I questioned how people were approaching flexible work.
However, the world changed 2 years ago and so did my perspective. I now know better than to not judge and I am thankful for the reminder of why I work from home myself.
I value family! I value the slower pace! I value flexibility! I value self-care! I value community. I value time. I believe that at the core of humanity, we all share these values. The Great Resignation is proof.
What I used to think about the annoyances of those that blurred the work/life lines too much are now my heroes. Those heroes had their priorities in place and reminded me that I too have similar values and reasons for being a WFH advocate. I also understand that not everyone was equipped to have a separate workspace or technology to set them up for success.
Overwhelmed working parents, your kids need more of you and need you to not be ashamed.
Those that got it right at the start of the pandemic, THANK YOU! For the rest of us that find it hard to juggle the nuances of managing home, parenting, homeschooling, and working, we need to lose the shame. We are multifaceted and we can’t compartmentalize our minds and souls like the new Apple Hit Show (Severance).
I would like to point out that as transparent our personal lives are now to our colleagues, there is a level of professionalism and personal boundaries that are still needed. This study by Economist Impact reinforces that work/life boundaries are important for post-pandemic normalcy.
But it’s ok to lose the shame and own the fact that we are multifaceted human beings with a job description for work and for at home. The boundaries that we put in place need to put a focus on life first, and then our work. If we aren’t well, then we can’t show up well for our work. Knowing the work-life juggle doesn’t come easy, let me recommend a few boundaries within the blurs of a workday:
Have your family or spouse join you on some business trips.
Be mindful though of the timing and insuring there are boundaries of the family to not interfere with your meetings or goals. This is how you should
- Book the trip on your credit card and if you are expensing, book your leg separately
- For your property or hotel, book extra space so there is no disruption in the family’s comings and goings or your own…this is a business trip, right?
- Enjoy the family time fully after your work is complete
If you have a newborn with no childcare, you have a hall pass.
No matter the age, you also have a hall pass. Have them on camera for a minute at the start of a call if appropriate, so you can get the “cute” remarks. But then go off camera and mute your mic and do your best to manage the noise thereby relying on childcare, feeding the child, or maintaining the calm.
Take personal appointments during your workday.
With this blur, there are some non-negotiables:
- Put all appointments on the calendar, but mark it private. If you don’t want it on private, then mark it in something code (ie…Meeting with Bob), but Bob is your mechanic! Get it? Ok!
- Schedule personal appointments for a flexible day where you have little or no meetings.
- Don’t be an informant, handle your business, and then set your platform to away, busy, do-not-disturb, or offline.
- Be respectful, don’t abuse your employer, and be transparent with your timesheet. You still have a job that you are responsible for.
With all of this being said, unanticipated disruptions will happen to the best of us. But these disruptions are our blessings and our lives. It’s time that we own the fact that we have a life outside of work and it’s completely ok for the line to be blurry! Our identity goes beyond what we do, but it’s in who we are as a whole.
Shout out to the leaders that embrace flexible work, babies on screens, dogs barking at the mailmen, and self-care breaks. Shout out to the managers that understand doctor appointments, mental health days, kid drop-off/pick-up, and late signing on are allowed.
If we are parenting while working, this should not only be allowed, it should be glorified. Unapologetically!