WFH permanently? Here's how to avoid making the same life altering mistakes that I did...

Hindsight is a great thing, isn’t it? How many times have you wished you could go back in time and do things differently to achieve a more positive outcome? We can be our own worst enemies: cutting corners, skipping out steps in a process, rushing or not listening to advice from others. This can lead to poor results, accidents, or, in my case, degenerative disc disease. I was given the tools, advice and encouragement to improve my work-life balance and workstation, however I ignored them all, chasing deadlines, money and success. And I know I'm not alone.  

Global workplace analytics says: “Our best estimate is that 25-30% of the workforce will be working-from-home multiple days a week by the end of 2021”. This is a significant increase on the pre-pandemic estimation, where 3.6% of people were working from home half the time or more. A number I was, and still am, part of.  

 Working from home gave me so many benefits, yet I didn’t take advantage of them. When I commuted, I would spend time listening to the radio, catching up with family and friends on the phone or reading a book. I traded this in for an early start at my desk, and would work straight through until late in the evening. Grabbing a snack or making a visit to the bathroom were the only reasons I left my desk. Also gone were lunch breaks, when I could get some fresh air, buy something for dinner, treat myself to a new payday outfit or meet a friend, and with the loss of those activities went the associated wellbeing rewards.  

As the achievements, bonuses and recommendations rolled in, I was little aware that I was developing degenerative disc disease which would lead to immense pain, three intrusive operations to replace the worn discs in my neck with an ever-growing titanium cage, and a lifetime of pain in my neck, shoulders, arms and hands.  

Like many sectors, the travel industry (in which I specialise) hadn’t fully embraced homeworking prior to the pandemic, but there has been a seismic shift and now many of the jobs that our sister recruitment business fills are now home-based either full or part-time.  

Employers have the same health and safety responsibilities for home workers as they do for any other workers, so I want to urge businesses to make sure that their teams have well-functioning, ergonomic workstations and that they encourage their staff to take regular breaks to protect their health as we settle into working in the 'new normal'.  

So, if I could go back in time, what three things would I do differently?  

1. I would listen to my colleagues, who said “take breaks”, “finish work now”, and “why are you sending emails at this time, stop!” Knowing that I was driven by tangible objectives, my annual appraisal even said I must find a work-life balance but, foolishly, this was the one KPI that I ignored, to my cost.

2. I would create an ergonomic workstation. I had the opportunity to purchase a desk, chair and screen that was comfortable and efficient, but I didn’t make the time. A fully ergonomic workspace needs a screen that is at eye level, a chair that gives good lumbar support and a keyboard that supports your wrists. These will help to protect you and your teams from long term injuries that could include spinal degeneration, postural aging by losing the natural curvature of the spine, partial paralysis, tendonitis and stress.

3. I would recognise and fully embrace the fact that everything I do today will impact my future health, and invest in it with the same enthusiasm that I did my career.

Home working is here to stay and I cannot stress enough the importance of adopting good practices from the outset. If not, there will be a mental and physical price to pay, as I can testify. By keeping yourself and your teams healthy, happy and motivated on their homeworking journey, everyone wins.  

To help with this transition, and because this is a very personal issue for me - my company is offering businesses a free Migrating to Remote Home Working course to help leaders and their teams to manage the transition. The course includes how to set up a workstation properly, avoid isolation and conflict by retaining a sense of community, identify the cyber-attack and security measures that may be needed, and how to avoid burnout with self-care. These are all critical to successful homeworking, and information I wish I had taken on board sooner.  

Access Progressive Travel Training’s free Migrating to Remote Home Working Course here.