Working from home isn’t a new concept, but due to COVID-19, more Canadians are doing it than ever. The pandemic has led to 5 million more Canadians working from home compared to last year. Combined with those that were already working from home, a total of 40 percent of Canada’s work force is now working remotely.
The pandemic has revealed that almost all office-work can be done remotely. Working from home can save businesses money on things like rent, equipment and office amenities. Most workers report enjoying the freedom that comes with working from home. Working from home can even be beneficial for our mental health.
So the question is: will we ever go back to the office?
London’s remote workforce
Kelsey King was hired in the marketing department at a telecommunications company just two weeks before the lockdown hit in March. That meant a lot of quick learning, and most of it remote.
King was lucky enough to have a company that provided her with necessary equipment for a home office, including a second computer monitor and an ergonomically designed mouse pad.
“I don’t think anyone really knew what to expect right off the bat, because it was very whirlwind,” said King. “This was just a sort of huge, quick whirlwind operation of getting almost two-hundred people set up to work from home.”
King said she enjoys working from home, in part because her manager has realistic expectations when it comes to productivity.
“She’s been really, really great and a little bit less concerned with us constantly being at our desk than with us maintain a good balance and good productivity,” said King.
Kelsey King’s home office
Credit: Kelsey King
In the future, King said her company will be reverting to a hybrid work model. That would see some employees return to the office full time, while others would work at home most of the time, with a few scheduled visits to the office for meetings.
The argument for keeping workers remote
There are financial benefits for both employees and employers when it comes to working from home. Workers like King said that working from home helped her save money on commuting. Her, like many other workers will also be able to claim a tax deduction this year for working from home. Tax experts expect to see a significant increase in the amount of Canadians claiming the deduction this year, as a result of just how many more people are working from home due to COVID-19.
But the benefits extend to the employer too. Bruce Smith is a business consultant with Casb Management Group. He’s been operating his business remotely for years. For Smith, the concerns with working from home were mainly linked to clients not viewing his business as legitimate.
“I always say, if it’s a credibility issue, it’s more their issue than mine,” he said. “If you’re impressed by a big building, then maybe I’m not the person for you.”
He added that some businesses have been resistant to working from home in the past, but Smith believes that in the aftermath of the pandemic, more businesses will have to adapt and keep their workers at home.
“That’s the trend that we’re heading towards,” said Smith. “It just makes sense with improvements in technology…there’s just no reason to have an office.”
Smith explained, however, that there may be issues linked to productivity with so many workers at home.
“I do see that in my industry,” he said. “We deal with lending underwriters, and I’m calling a lending underwriter at 9:30 in the morning and you can tell I’ve just woken them up. And they say, ‘I haven’t logged into my computer yet.’ If you were in the office, you’d have logged into your computer at 8:30.”
There are automated systems that exist to track workers’ productivity while they’re at home, and although they may seem intrusive (ie. video surveillance programs), they may become the reality if more workers stay at home after the pandemic.
Effect on mental health
Employees like King report that what they miss the most about the office is seeing their co-workers. The social aspect of a shared space is lost when working from home.
“I miss walking in and sort of seeing everyone in our little seating pod and catching up with each other,” said King. “It’s really nice to just be able to roll your chair over…to someone’s desk and have a conversation.”
Registered psychotherapist, Rebecca Denby said that social isolation caused by working from home can have lasting effects on mental health.
“You’re not able to connect in the same way when you’re not physically present with each other,” said Denby. “Social engagement is more difficult over video.”
Not only does the inability to communicate quickly make work more challenging, but it also eliminates employee comradery and friendships. The human connections we crave are not the same when they’re coming through a Zoom call.
Denby said the best way to combat this is to find ways to stay grounded while working from home, even if that means taking a break or a walk to soothe our minds.
The effect on our pets
Dustin Andrews’ kitten, who has spent the first few months of her life growing attached to him.
Credit: Dustin Andrews
Dustin Andrews has been working from home in TD’s social media department since March. While he was working from home, Andrews and his family adopted a kitten. Andrews is usually the only person home during the days, meaning the kitten has grown especially attached to him.
“She doesn’t know what her life is without me,” said Andrews. “She really doesn’t know what it’s like for me to be gone for more than an hour.”
London veterinarian, Caitlin Evered said that it might be hard on pets when their owners do go back to the office someday, especially kittens like Dustin’s, who have never known a life without someone home with them all the time.
“They can develop separation anxiety from being away from us,” said Evered. “They had one routine pre-COVID…and now we’ve kind of disrupted that schedule with them being home and they’re re-adapting to that. So I think it is safe to say that we might see some animals…showing some anxiety behaviors just because their routine has been changed again.”
Evered said it’s best that owners start preparing their pets for the day they go back to work now. She advised taking short walks without your pets or prolonged time outside the home so pets have time to adjust.
The future of the office
The future of the workplace is unclear for now. Working from home has its advantages as well as its challenges. Ultimately time will tell if companies keep their workers home from now on. With all its money-saving power and the fact that working from home opens the door for remote talent, it’s altogether possible that many will never see the office again.
Comments