Martex, as many other companies already did in this difficult time has implemented the smart working, agile-work or even better “work from home” even if at this time it is more like an « obligatory » work from home. We do not want to go into the advantages or disadvantages of this type of work because it has already been analysed and discussed. It is more that we want to tell you how our team are actually living with that.
Below the first answer: M.P.- Marketing Manager
« I’ve been working from home for a couple of weeks now, and I’m still not used to this situation and I think I never will; working from home the first few days may seem nice, there’s almost enthusiasm, times are extended, you don’t have any deadlines, you think that finally you can concentrate without the phone ringing, without any meeting, in short you think there are less distractions and that you can finally fix what you left behind; but then you immediately realize that things are different…
You wake up early in the morning, slowly prepare your coffee, while everyone is still asleep and plan the day, so many things to do: the new price list to finish, the house to arrange, think about what to cook, your 9 and 10 year old girls to follow, in short, there is no time to lose.
You stand immediately in front of the screen, you look at the emails, you reply to someone; you’ve just started the day and here they are; they want your attention, they move your computer, they need to be hugged, they want to feel protected, they understand what’s going on but not all; they live this situation almost like a holiday, yes, they have homework, lots of homework -which you download and reload continuously from the school portal- they have online classes, this new form of education that seems like a game to them, and so you find yourself in the living room sharing a fantastic dining room table with 2 girls watching a screen where they finally see their classmates and their patient teacher trying to keep them as focused as in school.
Then the homeworks are finished and they want to play, you still have to finish your things, but they don’t want to play alone, they want to be with you, make cookies, draw the rainbow in the big sheet to hang outside the window, do the 1500-piece puzzle, play cards or decide which movie to watch in the evening, all hugged together; all in all they are happy because they are together with their parents, they do a lot of things together, in the evening you go to bed late and the next day everything starts the same way and after a while… you miss work.
What am I missing?
The meetings with colleagues, the discussions on new products, the planning of communication strategies, the opinions on the new pictures just taken, the confrontation to improve, the coffee in the morning to chat about the previous day and get ready for the next one;
I miss the team, of course there are Skype emails, Whatsapp but it’s not the same thing, there’s no feeling among people, everything is colder impersonal, maybe it’s also due to the situation, to the fear of asking how is it going? Fear of an answer.
We are going through a difficult moment that we were not prepared for, I’m lucky because I’m fine, because I have my loved ones by my side that I can hug and kiss when I want, now I appreciate the toast of a neighbor from the window, the smile of a person you know who greets you from afar, the tiny backyard good enough for a breath of air, in short your priorities have changed, now you appreciate more even the little things.
It’s sunny outside, but I can’t be as happy as usual, I hope that everything will end soon, I hope that we can all go back to « normal » even if it won’t be the same as before, we won’t be the same as before. How will we be? I hope we will be more in sympathy with others, less racist, more caring with those we love, more respectful of doctors and nurses who are in the front line, more responsible and attentive to the passing of time. »
