Despite being socially distanced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, from work to leisure activities, employees of all sorts largely adapted to a new work structure and environment. Instead of working in an office setting surrounded by co-workers, employees were mostly confined to working in their own homes, muddling the definition of what it means to have a healthy work life balance. While this change of pace was welcomed for some and allows for a certain degree of flexibility, it has arguably resulted in employees feeling increasingly detached from their company and their work.
Throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Spectrum has followed and continues to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and due to the availability of vaccines and other positive trends, such as lower case numbers, we have begun to return to normal operations in our offices and in the field. With this, we are glad to see that more employees are gradually returning to their workplaces while continuing to practice the appropriate safety measures, such as physical distancing and mask wearing when necessary, as well as frequent hand washing.
Some companies see the benefit of continuing to work from home, especially since many employees may have already become accustomed to this new norm in their work structures. Here at Spectrum, we promote teamwork and believe that true teamwork is best fostered through in person interactions. Spectrum employees returning to the workplace marks not only a return to societal norms, but also a return to the Spectrum family, as our teams reunite with one another across the country. We now have the privilege of collaborating, networking and discussing ideas with one another in person once again, which can’t be taken for granted.
COVID-19 has caused us to be distanced from one another for long enough, and now that we have the resources and safeguards in place to allow this distancing to be interrupted, we intend to fully take advantage of this fact and invite Spectrum team members to return to the office at 50% capacity, before a full, 100% return rate is advised. All of our Spectrum employees, from the field to the office, should be able to get the most out of their work and contributions to the business, which is best facilitated through returning to the office and not falling prey to the variety of work from home pitfalls which many companies and employees find themselves grappling with.
A few drawbacks of working from home include:
A lack of community and camaraderie
The expectation for employees to be available at all times
Difficulty managing and maintaining accountability
A lack of communication among teams
Potential loss of productivity and motivation
Security concerns
These drawbacks present different risks and are harmful in their own ways. We want Spectrum employees to be well-rounded individuals who maintain a healthy work life balance while feeling motivated to do their work and holding each other accountable when necessary. A critical part of this balance involves having separation between where you live and where you work. Additionally, the potential security concerns that can result from remote work presents another type of challenge that can have a hugely detrimental impact on the business. Of the listed drawbacks of working from home, the potential lack of a sense of community that being in the office inspires is paramount. Being that the people here at Spectrum drive our business and make working here the experience that it is, we strive to continue facilitating those connections and interactions on a daily basis.
