Working From Home

The Good to Come From COVID-19 Pandemic

Zoe Boone, Student Writer

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, working conditions have changed drastically and companies have had to get creative. For some, that means increased protocols in the office, such as masks, frequent tests or temperature checks, and social distancing. For others, however, that means working completely from home with no office to work from. A local insurance defense firm, based in Plymouth Meeting, has gone completely online with no plans to return to in-person. With so much negativity in the news surrounding the pandemic, it is important to appreciate the positive things that have come from it. Aside from great advances in public health, vaccines, and remote learning, working from home has allowed amazing benefits for employees.

Amy Boone, a senior paralegal at the firm, has had to make serious adaptations to work from home. She has turned a corner of her bedroom into an

Making Your Own Office: Amy Boone’s Makeshift Office in her Bedroom (Zoe Boone)

office, complete with two desktop monitors, a meticulously organized desk, and other office decorations reminiscent of her physical office that no longer exists. However, she says the best thing to come from this situation is increased time with her family. “Working from home provides me with the flexibility to be here when my family needs me,” Boone said. Parents of young children have especially benefited from this flexibility, allowing them to work around their children and be there for them. Distractions, however, can be frequent with young children around, but some companies are very flexible and allow parents to work whenever instead of a rigid 9-to-5 schedule.

The savings on gas expenses are immense, especially for those commuting from afar. It is estimated that the average person could save $4000 a year simply by working from home. There are also other practical benefits to working from home, including being able to wear more practical attire, being in a comfortable and familiar environment, having a customizable office space, and a better work-life balance. According to the Pew Research Center, a majority of people working from home have become so accustomed to it that they would like to continue working that way even when the pandemic has passed.

Employees do, however, miss seeing their coworkers in person and long for the camaraderie that comes from being in-person at the office. The law firm recreates the true office environment by hosting virtual happy hours and themed zooms to replace holiday parties. Zoom calls and other online modes of communication are frequently used, and there have been great advances in technological communication for this very situation. The firm has done their best to maintain a tight-knit group of employees even though they cannot be together face-to-face.

Overall, “flexibility” is the word that came up the most among employees. Colleen Welte is an executive assistant to a partner at the firm who feels that she has benefitted in many ways from the switch to working completely remotely. She also appreciates the increased availability to be there for her family, especially to be with her aging mother. She feels that there have been immense financial benefits. “I am saving money on gas, auto insurance, and car repairs, along with morning trips to Wawa and ordering lunch a few times a week,” said Welte.

While the overall legacy of the coronavirus pandemic may not go down as positive, there are some benefits to come out of it. Working from home would not have been the ideal situation two years ago, but it is our current reality and local businesses have surely made the most of it. Working from home does cut down on social interactions and can leave employees feeling unmotivated, but there is also increased flexibility, great savings on unnecessary expenses, and technological advancements that help offices communicate better remotely. In a world of zoom calls and virtual everything, there is always a silver lining to be found.

 

Links:

https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/03/working-from-home-during-the-pandemic.html

https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/12/09/how-the-coronavirus-outbreak-has-and-hasnt-changed-the-way-americans-work/

https://www.hrccu.org/blog/does-working-from-home-save-you-money/