WFH- The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

A decade from now, when we think back on 2020, we’ll remember the soundtrack to this unsettling time.

 Working from home to timeless jams like:

“High Ho, It’s Downstairs to Work We Go”

“A Hard Day’s Night…And Day Without Ever Leaving The House”

“Takin’ Care of Business…In my PJs”

“9-5, Or More Like Noon To 8”

“She Works At Home For The Money”

We joke. Of course we aren’t in a place right now where we can change the words to popular songs about working to reflect the adoption of a Work from Home lifestyle! (Or can we?!)

All jokes aside, we went from around 5% of employed Americans working from home to over 50% of Americans working remotely, away from the office. The actual percentage is probably even higher than what is being reported.

Then there are folks who simply cannot work from home. These so-called “essential workers” (which, to be honest, is a misnomer- we’re all essential) are still arriving to their place of work, masks on their faces, hand sanitizer in their pockets, getting the job done so the rest of the country can enjoy their essential goods and services.

Dallas Courier is one of those essential businesses working throughout the COVID19 pandemic.

We’re here at work so that other North Texans can work from home. That doesn’t mean we don’t understand the Work from Home life, though. We see you, employees working from home- the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Here are just a few of the benefits, drawbacks, and downright unfortunate aspects of our new Work From Home business environment. Tell us, do you agree?

 

Nontraditional Office Hours

            The Good- Setting your own office hours while working from home is pretty fantastic, isn’t it? Not to mention, nontraditional office hours allow you to serve your customers whenever they’re on. At Dallas Courier, we love serving customers 24/7. It brings us great joy to assist a customer with an urgent delivery need when most other businesses are fast asleep.

            The Bad- Lack of set office hours makes it tough to draw the line between work and home. Many folks are finding out that it’s best to designate Work from Home hours at a specific spot in the house. When the “work day” is over, you leave your “office” and head “home”.

            The Ugly- Some folks take liberal office hours a  little too liberally. When you can’t get in touch with your associate, it makes you wonder if they understand the working part of Work from Home.

Zoom Meetings

            The Good- Connect with your office staff and never miss a meeting because you can sign in from virtually anywhere. That’s using technology, isn’t it? Not to mention, it’s nice to be social when you’re adamantly social distancing.

            The Bad- Having to remind your coworker constantly that they’re muted, that they need to mute, or that their camera isn’t working is a real bummer. When a 20 minute meeting turns into a 2 hour meeting due to technical difficulties and user error, it can be frustrating.

            The Ugly- You’ve heard the online meeting horror stories. From unclothed guests in the background to interrupting children to forgetting to mute and block your camera- you might see a lot more than you bargained for at your next meeting.

 Little to No Contact With Others

            The Good- Introverts, the “stay home” order has been good to you. Now you have an excuse to binge watch your favorite TV show and forego washing your hair for days at a time! You also have a great reason for conducting business over the phone instead of frequent overnight business trips. Less jetlag, more time with the fam!

            The Bad- Your kids are hurting for some play dates. Your Grandma is begging for a visit. Your coworkers even miss your annoying Dad jokes! We know we have to stay home to reduce the spread of the virus, but it’s definitely no fun.

            The Ugly- Extroverts, it’s been ugly. We like to hug, handshake, and high five. Here at Dallas Courier, we like to see our customers face to face and hand over their important cargo, or even set it up with white glove services. At the very least, we like displaying a friendly smile that isn’t hidden behind a mask. We’ll get through it together, but until then, we’ll be really wishing for the day when we can be together again.

There aren’t many redeeming qualities of the COVID-19 pandemic. We can’t control the bad or the ugly, but we can always look for the good.

Here’s some good news for you, too. Dallas Courier is offering Work from Home business logistics solutions for organizations in North Texas and throughout the country.

Let us help connect your employees and your customers. Together, we’ll come up with a unique plan of action that serves your business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Contact us on our website or call us at 972-680-8000.