An email I found at work today really brought home for me the accelerated change in working culture triggered by covid.
I used to work in the office 5 days a week. There was no question of doing anything else. It was 2018 and my boss made me stay late on a day when it was minus temperatures, the roads were rapidly icing over. I remember driving home or rather sliding home realising: I am not safe.
In the email in question I had emailed my work health and safety department asking if there were any risk assessments around winter driving and what were my rights to WFH if the weather was too bad. They literally replied: carry a winter survival kit in your car.
Fast forward, in the same company we are now all hybrid workers trusted to choose our office and WFH days. If it was snowing or icy I wouldn’t even ask to stay home, I would just do it. Similarly if I don’t feel 100% or have personal appointments, I can just work around them. The trust is the main thing that’s changed. Its still clear to management if you are not delivering your expected impact, but the inputs to achieve that are up to you.
It seems crazy now that previously I had to ask my company if I could possibly not put my life in danger for them sometimes. I know not everybody in every profession is benefiting from this new world but for those of us who are, the change is vast.
Let’s keep pushing it. Change can happen.