Remote Work 4 Years Later
Many remote employees are hitting a milestone, what have we learned?
It’s been about four years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic that reshaped the work lives of many employees in a variety of industries. It seemed appropriate to take a moment to reflect on this milestone and see what’s changed and what’s the same for me since March 2020.
Prior to that time, I did have some experience with remote work. I had worked from home when needed in my marketing role and had several freelance and contract gigs over the years with remote companies. And I was increasing my work from home days after my daughter was born in the Fall of 2019. But yes, I did still physically go into a small office with a handful of co-workers on most days.
I imagine my story is pretty common. There was an initial co-worker who didn’t feel comfortable coming into the office. That made all of us stop and pause. A few days later, their was a shelter-in-place order issued and we all just stopped going into that office space.
Obviously, no one could predict the future. We thought that maybe we’d return to the office after a few weeks or a month. People left things exactly as they were. There wasn’t really a plan in place to clean up or move things around. Business continued pretty much as usual with all meetings happening fully virtually rather than partially virtually which was an awkward mix of people around a conference room screen interacting with other people around a conference room screen somewhere else.
We even had a meeting about how to work remotely which seems like a well-intentioned yet antiquated idea now. Many of you probably had similar conversations about not working in your pajamas all day or tips to simulate the traditional workday even while you were at home. No one knew what to expect and were taking it day by day.
And what did my remote work setup look like? I quickly cobbled together my backyard standing desk workspace. Was it perfect? No, not at all. But I iterated until it became second nature for me to be standing outdoors all day staring at a computer screen. And I was far more productive than I had been in our tiny office that was friendly and professional but didn’t allow for much personal space or focus.
After a while, we were given the option to return to working in the office if we chose to. Aside from the CEO, no one chose to. It is a small enough space that it works for him as essentially a private office that can also be used for storage and the occasional in-person meetup if needed. And everyone else has adapted to their own remote work setup. We’ve hired new employees from all across the country, and it has pretty much just worked out.
But I know that not everyone had the same experience. Some employees were forced back to the office full-time or coerced back on some days in a hybrid arrangement. Every business has different needs. And every employee has figured out what level of social engagement works best for them and their style of working.
What have I learned in the four years being fully remote? It’s almost like completing a four-year college degree in remote work right? It’s wild to think about. Each of the last four years I’ve made little changes to the software I use and the configuration of my workspace that have made me happier and more productive.
I did finally give in and purchase a 32-inch monitor. I had long been a believer in the focus required when doing everything on a small laptop screen. I still like the idea of doing everything on a single monitor, but trading 13 inches for 32 inches seems like a worthwhile upgrade. I’m still standing for most of the day but have been using a more flexible standing desk to sit when I need to. I’m not working outside as much as I used to, but I’m looking to change that as the weather improves this spring.
My current setup is still in flux until I get the new outdoor shed/office/studio up and running. You can see above that the exterior is more or less finished aside from some trim improvements. Right now I’m installing some sound-proofing insulation before putting in the drywall. But it’s a functional workspace at the moment with power and fast wi-fi. So all this means that my remote work setup will continue to evolve over the next year.
I’m really curious to hear from anyone else who may be celebrating four years of remote work. What have you learned? How have you been able to iterate?
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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