Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Shutterstock/LStockStudio

Work-it: 'It is home and work totally entangled'

How to navigate remote working as Covid-19 forces us to transform sitting rooms to offices.

ROWENA HENNIGAN PREFERRED to take a video conference call than talk over the phone.

The remote-working consultant and lecturer works remotely from Spain. When she spoke to Fora on Wednesday – sat beside a window in her Zaragoza apartment – she explained how her set-up has drastically changed since the spread of Covid-19.

With the city on lockdown, her usual routine of working from a shared space or city cafe during the week has disappeared.

Only allowed to leave the house to walk to a nearby shop twice a day, she’s now at home, with her husband and child trying to navigate a new reality. 

Hennigan told Fora that it is important for people to realise and accept that the situation they find themselves is not normal.

“It’s a makeshift setup. So I think that we need to start from there with how we handle and approach it,” she said. 

She highlighted that for most people who have up until this point worked remotely, that has been their own decision – and it generally works out well when it’s a choice. 

“There’s lots of management theory that shows people that orientate to remote working are very productive, but it’s their choice,” she said, highlighting that she has opted to work that way and finds her new setup vastly different. 

“For me, a normal week would look like a few days at home, a day spent in a library, a coffee shop and I also use a co-working space once or twice a week,” she told Fora

“All of that’s been taken away. Now I’m in a situation where I have to sit in a different place. I’m doing two hours off (work) and two hours on because my husband is working remotely too,” she explained. 

“We have my daughter here and have to keep her homeschooling on track as well. To express it properly it is home and work totally entangled.”

Once it’s accepted that the situation isn’t normal, Henigan said workers need to be empathetic with themselves. 

“You need to be empathetic for yourself first and if you’re struggling, that’s called ‘self-care’. From a management perspective, it’s linked to self-awareness, something which leaders are usually good at,” she said. 

Rowena-Hennigam Rowena Hennigan

Hennigan is currently working with corporate wellness company Spectrum Life as a specialist. The firm is currently rolling out a new programme, alongside Laya Healthcare, to help businesses adjust to remote working life. 

Spectrum Life had a busy week last week as it, like many others across Ireland,  transformed its entire business to allow staff to work remotely and continue delivering services. 

As part of the new programme, Hennigan is giving advice on the best ways to manage remote working – such as taking breaks from the screen. 

“Put breaks in, get away from the screen, have an informal chat with whoever is in the house, cook, light a candle,” she said, holding up a lavender-coloured candle to the screen. 

As highlighted already – she’s a fan of video calling over voice – with facial expressions helping communicate better. 

“If you see my facial expression, you can empathise when I tell you that I can hear my daughter playing the harmonica in the background,” she said. 

For Hennigan, remote working needs to be taken each day at a time, and both employers and the worker’s expectations of it will adjust with time. 

“There’s an expectation that this will mimic the office – it will never mimic the office,” she explained.

“There’s also an expectation (with some people) that they will get through this no problem… I’ve spoken to people that hate working remotely. They don’t like it and we have to respect that,” she said. 

managing-director-at-cognate-health-professor-john-gallagher John Gallagher

John Gallagher, who is a medical doctor and the managing director at Cognate Health which provides occupational health services to clients, told Fora he sees “fundamental changes happening as people are starting to realise they don’t need to get in the car and drive to work every day”. 

His company also creates technology to help clients operate remotely. The firm has even brought forward the launch of its new platform Dayone+, which allows sick employees to better communicate their medical situation with their employer.

At the moment, the app has a very topical use. It allows workers who have been in self-isolation to be assessed remotely and given work-related advice prior to resuming their job. It also advises employers on the necessary steps to take if an employee is suffering from Covid-like symptoms.

Gallagher explained that communication lines can further drop when people are working remotely.

“We’ve got remote workers ourselves who have been there for quite a while doing online assessments for people out of work for 30 days – there’s very good evidence that the earlier you engage with people in your organisation that are ill, the quicker they get back to good health and back to work,” he explained. 

When asked if there is now an added complexity around taking illness leave because of much of the workforce working from home – he said there was.

“Our workers will now be linking up with a remote workforce. They fully understand the challenges this way of working brings,” he said. 

When it comes to working remotely he said there are many positives, but that employer does need to fulfil their obligations toward their workers.

“Employers need to consider employee rights. You need to put policies in place around how often you will contact them, how they can contact you,” he said. 

Risk assessments and ergonomic assessments of workstations need to be done, the General Data Protection Regulation laws still need to be abided by, alongside the Working Time laws, he said.

Get our Daily Briefing with the morning’s most important headlines for innovative Irish businesses. 

Written by Laura Roddy and posted on Fora.ie

Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ciarán Masterson
    Favourite Ciarán Masterson
    Report
    Feb 12th 2018, 10:38 PM

    I’ve read it, read it, read it….

    122
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Trevor W
    Favourite Trevor W
    Report
    Feb 12th 2018, 10:47 PM

    @Ciarán Masterson: hahaha. Well done

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ciarán Masterson
    Favourite Ciarán Masterson
    Report
    Feb 12th 2018, 11:55 PM

    @Trevor W:

    Thank you.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Emilio Butler
    Favourite Emilio Butler
    Report
    Feb 12th 2018, 10:21 PM

    A truly remarkable story, and nonfiction. I find it terribly sad, how extinction is under our noses

    144
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ron North
    Favourite Ron North
    Report
    Feb 12th 2018, 11:01 PM

    I know how you feel little guy, I hope there is someone out there for both of us.

    55
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Liberal Larry
    Favourite Liberal Larry
    Report
    Feb 12th 2018, 11:54 PM

    @Ron North: awh… (heartbreak emoji)

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Myk_Oval_Balls_nRyt
    Favourite Myk_Oval_Balls_nRyt
    Report
    Feb 13th 2018, 6:18 PM

    @Ron North: Pizza will always be there for you Ron, Always**whispers**

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Culligan
    Favourite Paul Culligan
    Report
    Feb 12th 2018, 11:27 PM

    Would you say that, if you put him back where you found him, he might know where the moths are hidin’. Just because we can’t find them, doesn’t mean Romeo can’t sniff them out. Mind you, he probably has Alzheimers by now.

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute George Oscar Bluth
    Favourite George Oscar Bluth
    Report
    Feb 12th 2018, 10:35 PM

    Incredible yet the Bolivian tree lizard thrives on a diet of pigeons. It’s at the point where we need wave after wave of Chinese needle snake to prevent us from being overrun.

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Arthur Pewty
    Favourite Arthur Pewty
    Report
    Feb 13th 2018, 1:21 AM

    and I thought I was lonely…..get this frog a mate!!!

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mary Lyons
    Favourite Mary Lyons
    Report
    Feb 12th 2018, 11:51 PM

    I’m glad it’s not the same problem in the pond in my back garden! It’s a veritable love in at the moment!

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jim Doherty
    Favourite Jim Doherty
    Report
    Feb 12th 2018, 10:57 PM

    Darn it, never thought I’d have so much in common with a frog, know how that little guy feels

    26
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jim Doherty
    Favourite Jim Doherty
    Report
    Feb 12th 2018, 10:58 PM

    @Jim Doherty: hmmm..that loses lot of its meaning without the emoticon attached!

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tommy Roche
    Favourite Tommy Roche
    Report
    Feb 12th 2018, 10:40 PM

    Damn… Hope he gets his hole before he croaks.

    39
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gary Byrnes
    Favourite Gary Byrnes
    Report
    Feb 13th 2018, 3:39 AM

    Is there a link

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pauliebhoy
    Favourite Pauliebhoy
    Report
    Feb 12th 2018, 10:19 PM

    I’m sure there’s a willing female pig out there

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Oretani Wildlife
    Favourite Oretani Wildlife
    Report
    Feb 12th 2018, 11:12 PM

    More crap editing from the Journal. The picture is probably a European Tree Frog and is nothing like the frog the story is about.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Oretani Wildlife
    Favourite Oretani Wildlife
    Report
    Feb 12th 2018, 11:19 PM

    @Oretani Wildlife: Correction, it’s a Hipsiboas riojanus, endemic to Argentina. Still crap editing.

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joe Conlon
    Favourite Joe Conlon
    Report
    Feb 12th 2018, 11:23 PM

    @Oretani Wildlife: hop along Oretani

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Red hurley
    Favourite Red hurley
    Report
    Feb 13th 2018, 7:48 AM

    Mmmmmmmmm frogs legs in garlic.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joseph Blocks
    Favourite Joseph Blocks
    Report
    Feb 12th 2018, 10:55 PM

    What’s the fuss? Frogs can change sex anyway. He can impregnate himself.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dae Monicus
    Favourite Dae Monicus
    Report
    Feb 12th 2018, 11:42 PM

    @Joseph Blocks: Interesting fact that Joseph, if only Kermit knew that when Miss Piggy finally told him to go f@#k himself he wouldn’t be such an emotional wreck.

    11
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel