Sunday, July 17, 2011

Work/Life Balance

I've been working from home at least one day a week, often more, for the majority of the past 12 years. It's been WONDERFUL!

I'm one of those people who loves the still and silence.  And even when my workplace office is fairly quiet, there's just something about having other people around that interferes with my own working vibe.  I basically write for a living and the first manager who allowed me to work from home "got me" - understood that solitude and flexibility allowed me to give her my very best.  I'm "one of those creative people" who marches to the beat of a different drummer.  And I'm also one of those people fortunate enough to be self-disciplined enough to actually WORK when I'm in the comfort of home and relaxed attire.  Many people tell me they could never do it.

The company went through a few years of relaxing into a variety of options that promote "work/life balance" - where many people have been able to choose a flexible work schedules and/or remote locations.  I, for one, know that I've gotten very spoiled with the flexibility.

A recent shift in position for me hasn't been the only indication that everyone hasn't embraced this concept of flexibility in the workplace.  As a matter of fact, I'm watching the signs all around me that indicate that we could be moving back into the direction of the 80's and 90's - before the days of casual dress codes, flexible schedules, and definitely before anyone talked about "work/life balance."

I'm really not sure what to think of it.  We have a fitness center, a bank, a small variety/convenience store, and now a health center and pharmacy on site.  Essentially, things are built in to where you rarely have to leave!  (We even had food/grocery ordering and delivery for a while.)  I appreciated that service for a while, until it became more than just fresh fruit & veggies, and I refused to have groceries delivered to my workplace when I'd have to load up like a pack mule or take multiple trips from my floor of the building to car - which involved very long stretches of stairs across large parking lots.  Unless they were willing to get carts....no thanks.

These days, I'm trying to acclimate to using the gym at work to replace what I have been doing in physical therapy for many post-operative months.  In theory, it sounds great!  I can get my strength & stability exercises in over lunch or at least all in one place.  But dragging an extra piece of luggage up the long uphill parking lot is less than appealing.  Not to mention the whole experience of changing clothes, working up a sweat, and then changing again to return to work.  It was so much easier dressing for the day in PT-friendly clothes and working from home.  But that's just me.

I could be just getting more resistant to change over time.  Or it could be that I'm just plain spoiled and I'm mad. 

But it's making me think about the bigger picture.

I'm questioning whether other businesses are moving backwards in the work/life balance theory in terms of flexible working arrangements.  (After all, we know that trends like outsourcing were huge, and some  companies are starting to back-pedal on that, as well.)  Or if offering more and more services in the workplace is tipping the balance in another direction. After all, more time in the building is less time at home. 

Just wondering what the trends really are, what really works, and where we're headed.....

2 comments:

  1. At my current place of employment, I'm not seeing a return to the old-style working arrangements. Over the past two or three years, we've gone to a totally casual dress code (pretty much anything within reason and the bounds of decency) and much more leeway on remote work arrangements. In fact, this summer, because of the high gas prices, we've all been encouraged to work from home one day a week to save expenses. Many of my co-workers are full time home workers (located throughout the country), we all have company laptops, and we have direct connections to the company network. In fact, there is very little reason that any of us would be required to ever visit the office.

    That being said, I do enjoy the interaction and social contact that I get from the office. One day a week is fine, but if I had to work full time from home, I'd be pretty bored, frustrated, and probably not very productive.

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  2. Thanks for your perspective, Larry. I'm glad to hear other companies are moving forward and taking great advantage of technology and bending with the economic (and other) impacts of the world on employees.

    I've heard many people say that they prefer the social aspect of working in an office environment, and I can definitely understand that.

    I'm currently experiencing a lack of engagement (social activity)in my new work environment, so it's seeming rather pointless to show up only to call out morning hellos to people who barely look up to respond and have never spoken to me otherwise. It's a long day with just a computer screen and fabric walls. At least, at home, I have windows (and bird life outside).

    Enjoy your workplace!

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