COMPLIANCE
The human element I’m a people person, I thrive off group work and face-to face-contact, and I’ve recognised that. Video calls are good for most things, especially as I work with people all around the Sage world, both at home and internationally. When the opportunity arises to get together in a room to hold discussions, I always take it. I find the conversations can be fuller and more detailed, and this could just be a skill I haven’t developed digitally yet, but it feels simpler to me.
Creating this space also created the capability to walk away and ‘travel home’. This separation of work and home life has continued to be very important for, not just myself, but for all members in my family, as I can switch off and take part in the rest of family life. I still check emails and smaller items on my work phone, but I did this prior to homeworking. The ‘always on’ mentality has shifted. Not everyone will have a separate room to work from but having the ‘closed for work’ mentality is key. So, close the laptop, put it away and leave it off until the next day to create this important differentiation. Time to think What I also learned about working from home was how it can remove the thinking time you would often have as part of your usual working day. Previously, it would take around 30 minutes a day to travel into work, and this allowed me to switch on my mind and plan for the day. Although the convenience of jumping out of bed ten minutes before starting work can be a bonus, I’ve found I’m much more switched on if I create the travel time, even if I use it for an extra cup of tea, walking the dogs or catching up on the latest news. This has become a critical part of my working from home days and has helped on my days working in the office too. As I’ve now moved onto a hybrid working pattern, I’ve tried to embrace the opportunity and flexibility it gives me, but also to learn and evolve how I work, to make sure I get the best balance and become as efficient and effective as I can be. I initially set up in my dining room, which, as well as impacting my family and reducing our usable home space, also meant I had an ‘always on’ mentality and would work at the wrong times
or political controversy can be small but brilliant interruptions to what could be a very long day without them. Hybrid working is the future Hybrid working is here to stay for many of us and finding the right balance isn’t easy or immediate, but it’s about understanding your goals and reflecting on how things are, especially if you’re struggling or in need of support. Being able to speak face-to-face isn’t always the answer, but when deciding on working from home or the office, be honest about your motivations and make sure you consider why you worked in an office in the first place. There are lots of factors at play, such as costs including: ● travel ● extra childcare ● commuting time. These all impact our work-life balance and mental health, so need to be considered. We also need to ensure we’re getting what we need from the working side of that balance and make sure developmental opportunities and scope for growth aren’t compromised. It’s taken time and I’m still working on it, but I try to reflect on each piece of work I do, even down to individual meetings to consider if it would have been better if I’d been in a face-to-face meeting. I don’t think there’s a one size for all and that’s why hybrid working will be successful for many businesses. Individuals, however, have different needs and drivers, and keeping the conversations going with line mangers and support functions is critical to long term success. n When deciding on working from home or the office, be honest about your motivations and make sure you consider why you worked in an office in the first place
Face-to-face meetings can mean fuller and more detailed conversations
The other real benefits I get from my time in the office are the conversations I wasn’t getting at all when working from home. I missed people, especially those I worked with, but not always directly. The five minutes before a meeting in the office used to be the opportunity to catch up on non-work chats, ones that matter personally and solidify the relationships you have with people, but also crucially reminded me why I work at Sage and have done for so long – my friends and colleagues. I’m lucky to have flexibility and have committed to work two days a week in the office and two days from home as part of my condensed four-day week. This will, at times, chop and change but I’m committed to always be in at least one day a week, and this is often my favourite day. I still sit in the office on Teams meetings with people from all over Sage but seeing other faces, having the friendly chat in the lift or even discussing the latest sporting
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 87 | February 2023
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