COVID-19 Active Response III: Work at Home

Page 1

IN TS RR E TP O 7 …–. . A2p0r1i9l 2 0 2 0 INSIG HSTISG H RE PO 6 R–T…1…

Active Response III Work at home Any sudden change requires you to do three things: create calm, nurture connections, plan and reflect. Figure 1Dancing to Let it Go

Self-care and setting up With little warning or preparation, most of us find ourselves at home, with or without family members, reorganising our normal lives into something new – and trying to get to grips with what ‘working from home’ means. For many this also includes juggling un-paid work, parenting or caring for others along with paid work. This is NOT a ‘business as usual’ situation. There are a range of different demands, and we are dealing with our own reactions to stress, unprecedented change and a high level of uncertainty. •

It’s OK to feel however you feel – we react to stress in different ways, all of which are normal. Allow yourself time to notice what you are feeling

Look after yourself as best you can – think about your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing

Allow time to work out what you/your household MOST needs right now – before rushing into being productive.

For many, this is a sudden and steep learning curve on how to work from home. •

Your children and other family members are more important than work: do whatever needs to be done to ensure they are OK

Compartmentalise and separate as much as possible – be clear where and when you are at work and when you are not.

NZRA Insights Report – Fight, Flight or Freeze in the Red Zone

Have a separate space, if you can manage it, away from whatever else is going on in the home. Set it up to be as inviting as possible.

Periods of work may be episodic, built around the needs of the household as a group.

If you’re sharing your house with others, have a conversation about roles [these may have changed overnight], expectations, boundaries. Clarify the parenting, caregiving or other tasks/responsibilities you share.

Managing Staff As individuals, communities and a nation, we are dealing with an unprecedented set of events unfurling at speed. We have little control over our external circumstances and must comply with government requirements. i.e. go home - and stay there. Instant adaptation to a changed environment is a skill, and not everyone will be at the same level. This calls for a changed style of management and changed expectations. Allow staff time to attend to priorities in their personal and home lives. Some suggestions are: •

Organisations, and you as a manager, need to say: “Give yourself a break, get yourselves organised, find a new way of being in this new environment”.

1


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.