POLL: Work and Covid-19

[Wake27]

Army. Sec Def and others at the top are taking some pretty serious steps. Units at the DIV and BDE level seem to be trying to balance that guidance along with the ever present "readiness" objective. I'm very curious to see where we take this in the next week or two. We've pushed some personnel to the house for telework, but obviously most of our jobs can't be done at home. The ones that can will run out of work before too long. I'm hopeful on a personal level. The past few years have gotten more and more difficult to workout as much as I want and I'd love a lighter schedule. But I'm very worried about all of the things this will lead to.

[BillSWPA]

Self-employed patent attorney for almost 13 years. My only employee is my wife. Most of my clients communicate with me by phone and email, and my filings with the US Patent and Trademark Office are electronic, so working from home until the latest governor’s order to shut the physical locations of “non-essential” businesses is over will not be a big deal.

Many small business owners in my town are being hit badly by the closures. I really hope this emergency is short-lived for their sake.


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[Bucky]

I telecommuted for many years until the program was ended in 2018. My performance was better from home (no kids, no distractions). Needless to say, it was an easy transition to go back to. As much as I prefer not going into the office, I’d MUCH prefer it to the current circumstances.

[rob_s]

I work for a good-sized commercial general contractor. I’m not IT but I manage all of our construction-specific tech, training, and SOPs. Other than the fact that so much of my job is really about relationships and connection, I could do all of the technical aspects of my job from a iPad in Fiji, let alone a laptop and two monitors in my home office. So far the company policy is “come to work”. I imagine that’ll change today or Monday as I believe the governor has said that the three counties we primarily work in are supposed to cease all “non-essential” business operations and I can’t imagine they are going to consider building apartments and condos as “essential”.

Corporate’s attitude has seemed to be “if the jobsites have to go to work, the office has to go to work” and “we can’t trust you to work at home without us watching you”. None of this explicitly stated, but even in the face of this pandemic when people bring up the fact that the work they do doesn’t even really require them to be in an office u dear normal circumstances, the response is “yes, but you are not in a work from home position”. As if your employment contract (we are a right to work state, the employment contract doesnt really mean anything to begin with) somehow supersedes a global medical crisis.

It’s been interesting to watch companies struggle with this, once you remove yourself from the equation. How do you tell one person they “have to” come in while another is allowed to work from home? While it likely seems pretty clear cut to many, to the guy that has to come in it likely doesn’t.

For me personally, thinking about these things in terms of future career possibilities and helping to manage the recovery, I’m looking at all of our legacy policies and tech and training and evaluating how we can shore these things up in case of future crisis, but also using that as an excuse to simply make our people’s work lives better. The same tech that can allow an employee to work remotely during a crisis would also enable them to work remotely after the birth of a child, on an extended honeymoon, etc.

The big career challenge right now is not wanting to be the only “executive” that isn’t coming in. When ownership and c-suite are all showing up to the office, you don’t really want to be the one guy that says “nah, I’m not doing it.”

[peterb]

Most office staff working from home. Manufacturing shifts separated with no overlap. No visitors or nonessential vendors. Onsite meetings held remotely if possible, or with maximum separation. Buildings operate as separate sites. No travel.

[Crazy Dane]

Firefighter/medic in the trenches because dispatch is run by morons.

[TGS]

Firefighter/medic in the trenches because dispatch is run by morons.

Ugh, god. My wife and I were bitching about dispatchers the other day (we met while working in EMS).

I imagine it will never change.

[blues]

Firefighter/medic in the trenches because dispatch is run by morons.

@FES313, hit me up by PM if you find yourself lacking something because you couldn't find the time to get it. If I have it, I'll share what I can.

[Irelander]

I work as an engineer for a mining machinery company. Gov Wolff is trying hard to shut us down but currently our doors are still open. No visitors or traveling between offices. I am working from home mostly. We are allowed to come into the office if necessary but it has to be scheduled. Social distancing is strictly mandated. The company is doing a great job of making good policies and keeping us informed.

[Crazy Dane]

@FES313, hit me up by PM if you find yourself lacking something because you couldn't find the time to get it. If I have it, I'll share what I can.

Growing up country has prepared me for days like this but I did find myself short on a few things, cat food for my 2 geriatric cats, if they were younger they could fend for themselves and I don't think it will be hard to find, competent leadership at work and a Wiley Clapp GP100. I was looking to get one chambered in 10mm so I could play with another moon clip gun but since ammo is getting thin and I don't have any 10mm, I am looking at maybe a S&W 625. I have plenty of .45acp ammo and maybe a moon or 4 from past ownership.

Thanks for the offer and it goes for you too, if you need anything let me know. I will be traveling to and from the big city and can try to find things.