Monica Iyengar on Work From Home during Lockdown
Monica Iyengar, author of Work Hard-ly, shares her thoughts on working from home during lockdown.
Here’s what she has to say…
Corona Extra
The title might remind you of a rather tasteful alcoholic beverage much needed in times of a pandemic with the same name.
I wouldn’t know much about its aroma, character, carbonation content or its brewing process; talking about the beer for now. I have however enjoyed how it made me feel; light and free unburdened by the deadlines at work or the targets on my back and available in the moment.
The currently popular virus has made me feel somewhat similar. I do not in any way underestimate its magnitude or devastation capabilities but we have been stopped on our tracks. In a way, the virus has been a great equalizer yet it is the privileged who will ride the wave to the other side as always. Most have been asked to work from home for their own safety and it is only right. In the meanwhile, there have been compelling arguments from both sides on the concept of working from home.
Working from home is a great substitute for the traditional work format and many of us have done it before. It is in no way inefficient or unprofessional, in fact, it has a lower carbon footprint and Greta Thunberg would agree with me on this. Working from home is simpler, saves unnecessary effort, saves on make-up and work clothes and enables us to drop the pretense of being the busiest creatures on the planet.
But the only way one can work from home is if one has a job that necessitates a laptop.
When you work from a laptop you are primarily doing the following: a). Typing words in English b). Making reports in English c). Making reports with numbers d). Sending Emails e). Chatting f). Video-conferencing g) Making artwork or videos h). Looking at old vacation pictures. Any reasonable person would agree that one need not drag himself to the demarcated workstation miles away to do any of this. I recommend that all the positions that require no fieldwork must work from home; it saves time, money and energy and it is possible to get the job done. There are other veiled rewards of working from home – you can be in ugly clothes, you can scratch your dog with your feet as you work, you can grab a snack from the refrigerator as and when your heart desires, you can take a short nap or work from your comfy bed, you can carry your laptop to the loo (if it’s going to be a long halt), you can also drink on the job and nobody would know unless you get hammered.
But working from home can be a double-edged sword. You cannot pretend to be busy to avoid work because no one is watching really. You may want to get away from the nagging husband and kids who will mostly be working from home as well. Every half an hour the husband may have earth-shattering questions about the location of a sock or an underwear. The kids will be hovering in close proximity because they like to irritate. When you go to the loo (for the long halt) there might be constant banging on the door and voices that ask what you are doing there. You will never be truly isolated even if the government cries hoarse.
As your mind grapples with the lockdown take refuge in the namesake of the corona(virus), for it will help you retain your sanity, make you feel as light as a feather and you can fly away to a distant land.
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MONICA IYENGAR pursued a Bachelors in Mathematics for no particular reason. She went on to get an MBA to make a quick buck. She spent 13 years in Business and Sales Management getting cheap thrills out of her designation and salary package. As a visiting faculty for Organization Development at the University, she bursts the bubble of wide-eyed MBA aspirants. She is also pursuing a Doctorate in Management because a good prefix never hurt anyone. She speaks four languages and loves the outdoors. She enjoys leading a healthy lifestyle and doesn’t drink alcohol because it is not available in her dry home state. She has a husband and a 6-year-old son.
Read her book on Kindle today