To work from home, or not to work from home?

How we do it at Carnsight

Working from home is the topic on everyone’s lips at the moment and we’re being encouraged to work from home where we can. As a PR agency, we’re finding every one of our clients has a different approach and some are more keen to share them than others. It’s no secret that there are mixed options; some people love the freedom and others are longing a return to the office. Today, I wanted to share my take and talk a bit about how we do working from home at Carnsight.

Working from home was part of the mix well before lockdown made it a requirement. Carnsight’s flexible approach meant I was working from home even back in my intern days. The option was always there if I needed it and my colleague worked from home every Wednesday.

I definitely found working from home an adjustment, and in many ways, i had to learn the skill to work from home effectively. So many factors come into play, many of which are completely out of our control, such as the size and layout of the space we’re in, who else is around and access to a good internet connection. Even in the ‘perfect’ environment we easily get distracted by the laundry we must fold or the natural feeling of wanting to relax when at home.

I’m lucky enough to have a space that means working from home, for the most part, works for me. But that isn’t the case for everyone. In fact, working from home isn’t always a unanimous decision in the office. Often Carnsight founder Jess will choose the office over homeworking, likely because, with lively children and lovely dog Clifford, her home life looks a lot different from mine.

Finding the balance

At Carnsight we try for a nice balance of both working from home and working in the office. I love this! It means I get the best of both worlds. We’ve adapted as the pandemic has required us to and our flexibility before the virus meant that the shift didn’t feel quite as dramatic.

The flexibility of being able to work some days at home and some days in the office (and mostly having the choice of which days) means I am always able to perform to the best of my ability at work. I have the freedom to work from home when needs be and the support and atmosphere of the office.

We’ve also found fantastic ways of communicating and connecting as a team even when working from home. Including regular video check ins, constant emails back and forth, and a Whatsapp group to reach each other quickly.

Does working from home work for you?

I think it’s always important to remember that working from home is just a part of flexible working. It’s so important for employers to consider what works for each individual employee; especially in terms of how safe they feel during the current pandemic.

Many people seem to be asking the question “to work from home or not to work from home?” I think it’s time to reframe the question: “When to work from home?” When does it work and when doesn’t it? Because there will be times when both apply – in lockdown or otherwise.

The situation with the pandemic has meant the working world has seen a massive shift in focus. While it’s absolutely vital to obey advice regarding whether or not it’s safe to return to work during these difficult times, I think it’s also important we think past the pandemic. Working from home isn’t going away, so how can we make it work for us?

Find out how we stay productive when working from home in our productivity tips post. You can also learn more about our company ethos by reading our post on self-care in the workplace.