The 11th – 15th October 2021 marks National Work/Life Week, where employers are encouraged to reflect on their provision of flexible working policies and focus on their team’s wellbeing in the workplace.
The Covid-19 pandemic changed the way that almost every workplace operated, with businesses having to adapt to working entirely remotely almost overnight. In our experience, this was something that some employees relished, but others found very isolating.
Though many of our team are in the office at least some of the week now that restrictions have lifted, some people found that working from home has allowed them to experience an improved work/life balance. After reviewing the impact on the business, and employees consultation, we decided to continue to empower them to work remotely if they’d like to do so.
““Emerging out of lockdown has forced us to revaluate what works best for the business and our team. Providing enhanced flexible working arrangements ensures everyone has a better work / life balance, which ultimately has a positive impact on business productivity and performance. Without exception, everyone continues to demonstrate a high level of responsibility, teamwork and shared ownership of meeting our goals.”
– Ian, Managing Director
When it comes to working remotely, here are some things Team Telescope have found helpful:
“Be disciplined, forward plan, and invest in a comfy chair”.
– Jane, Project Lead
“Try and establish an area in your home to work in, with a table and chair (no slumping on the sofa)! Even if it’s a desk tucked in an alcove somewhere, having a place which is “work” rather than “home” will help you switch off at the end of the day when it’s time to finish”.
– April, Marketing and Content Coordinator
“Get yourself a furry companion!”
– Rob, Web Developer
At Telescope, we’ve had a flexible working policy in place for some time, allowing employees to start and finish at a time to suit their lifestyle (as long as our core operating hours are covered), but now we are offering the option to working remotely some of the week has taken this a step further.
As a business, we’ve found our employees find having the flexibility to choose how and where they work hugely positive, and we are proud to have such a happy, engaged and productive team.
Here’s some of our team’s thoughts on our choice to continue working remotely:
““Working from home means we can avoid the M1 traffic jams, or sometimes hazardous weather conditions! In the past we have all spent hours stuck in traffic getting to and from work, or risked injury driving through blizzards.”
– Andy, Creative Artworker
“Being totally able to work from home with my role means home life is easier, more with value-added downtime due to not having to travel (or pay for fuel, so easier on the purse strings!) There’s definitely a benefit to being able to ‘pop the washer on’, make the tea, or service the car. However, the flip side is that work is at home, and with the temptation of having my Mac on hand, you can find that work does sometimes fall into evenings and weekends… Personally I love being in the office. The buzz around the place is great. It allows all areas of the business to come together, to maximise opportunity and give the experience and input of certain roles.”.
– Nic, Head of Commercial
“Having the option to work remotely helps me to make time on an evening to do stuff. Such as get to events I have planned, and make sure I am around at times where I can see the family before bed time, and still have time to relax!”
– James, Creative Artworker
Although there’s still the choice to work from home available to all, many of our team love the buzz of our office and choose to work from there. We really value our employee’s wellbeing and want to ensure they have the most enjoyable experience at work possible, and want them to feel valued, listened to and engaged with the business. With this, we have a calendar of activities to keep the office a fun place to be – whether that’s getting our spookiest fancy dress on for Halloween, or having a BBQ outside for World Burger Day (anything to do with food is usually a good call when it comes to Team Telescope)!
As a business, we look forward to building on our work to ensure Telescope is a great place to be in the future, and a place which promotes wellbeing and a good work-life balance.
