I feel very lucky being able to work from home over the past couple weeks. It’s interesting that I have always thought (or been told that) my job wasn’t possible remotely – but here we are. The main reason why it has been difficult to work from home is that I do not have the proper equipment or materials here. So a task that should take a few minutes can end up taking hours – my crappy printer jams, I make a mistake because I misread something on my tiny laptop, etc. All of this could be easily resolved, however. I could bring in a workable computer and monitors, a functioning printer, my check scanner, and all that I would need to produce the best quality work in the least amount of time. The reason I don’t have these things, seems to be denial on the part of leadership.
Executives and managers are still running around with their quotas and fiscal targets, as though we are not in the middle of a global crisis. While I have accepted this new reality, it seems unclear as to whether employers will come to grips with the fact that many non-essential workers, especially immunocompromised folks, may be working from home for the indefinite future. It seems that the best course of action would be to radically accept this; giving employees the tools they will need to do their jobs and stay safe. Because, after all, how productive will we be if we get sick (or die)?
It has been truly inspirational to see workers from Amazon, Instacart, GM and Whole Foods organize in the face of the coronavirus. Any time I have caused a fuss at work about benefits being cut year after year, it has been sad to see my co-workers’ acceptance of our fate. They don’t seem to know their collective power and worth as workers, and that without our labor, the organization will cease to operate. But it is times like these that if we fight… we just might win.