Working from Home
« Return to NGC and Its Covid-19 Response Three Hours Longer, the Pandemic…..
Three Hours Longer, the Pandemic Workday Has Obliterated Work-Life Balance
People are Overworked, Stressed, and Eager to get Back to the Office
An executive at JPMorgan Chase & Co. gets unapologetic messages from colleagues on nights and weekends, including a notably demanding one on Easter Sunday. A web designer whose bedroom doubles as an office has to set an alarm to remind himself to eat during his non-stop workday. At Intel Corp., a vice president with four kids logs 13-hour days while attempting to juggle her parenting duties and her job.
Six weeks into a nationwide work-from-home experiment with no end in sight, whatever boundaries remained between work and life have almost entirely disappeared.
With many living a few steps from their offices, America’s always-on work culture has reached new heights. The 9-to-5 workday, or any semblance of it, seems like a relic of a bygone era. Long gone are the regretful formalities for calling or emailing at inappropriate times. Burnt-out employees feel like they have even less free time than when they wasted hours commuting.
“I honest to goodness am wearing the exact same outfit that I started with on Monday,” Rachel Mushahwar, the vice president and general manager of U.S. sales and marketing at Intel, said in an interview last Thursday. “I think I’ve showered three times.”
Guidelines for Managing Suspected Coronavirus Disease 2019 Cases
Learn More: Guidelines for Managing Suspected Coronavirus Disease 2019 Cases [PDF]
Keeping Safe
Keeping the Workplace Safe
Encourage your employees to:
- Practice good hygiene;
- Be careful with meetings and travel;
- Handle food carefully;
- Stay home if feeling sick or if there is a sick family member at home.
Keeping the Home Safe
All Households
- Clean hands at the door and at regular intervals;
- Create habits and reminders to avoid touching their face and cover coughs and sneezes;
- Disinfect surfaces like doorknobs, tables, and handrails regularly;
- Increase ventilation by opening windows or adjusting air conditioning.
Households with Sick Family Members
- Give sick members their own room if possible, and keep the door closed;
- Have only one family member care for them;
- Consider providing additional protections or more intensive care for household members over 65 years old or with underlying conditions.
Mental Wellbeing
“Help is Here”
Preservation / Restoration of Your Mental Health during Covid-19
- Time-out: Mental Health Evaluation;
- Mental Health Preservation / Restoration;
- Work from Home Tips;
- Let’s Connect Tips;
- Self-Isolation Tips;
- Regular Work Arrangement Tips;
- Additional Tips;
- Call for Professional Help if Required.
Learn More: Preservation / Restoration of Your Mental Health during Covid-19 [PDF]
Managing Covid-19 Anxiety
- Avoid Information Overload: Excessive access to media coverage and incoming new information can increase anxiety levels;
- Avoid Over Buying: Before purchasing items in bulk, assess your household’s needs and their usage of certain items.
Helping Our Children Deal with Stress during Covid-19
- Pay attention to our children’s response;
- Additional love and attention;
- Maintain a healthy routine;
- Only provide facts.
Learn More: Helping Our Children Deal with Stress during Covid-19 [PDF]