Working from home, it may be great for some but not for all. It may either make you 'work too much and live too little' or 'work too little and live too much.'

Hi guys, I'm Carl - part of the Business Development PH Team. How are you all doing?

It’s hard to believe how much has changed in the past few months due to COVID-19 pandemic as well as the declaration of the lockdown which started in Manila. Many companies implemented flexible or work-from-home schemes for their employees. Luckily, I belong to a company that cares for the safety of their clients and employees.

However, working from home isn’t something new for me. Freelancing was introduced to me when I was 15. I started as a freelance graphic designer, creating graphic materials for brands to post on their social media pages, websites or sometimes design a layout for their offline marketing materials. At the same time, I was also exploring the world of e-commerce by doing “Buy & Sell” on local e-commerce platforms like “Sulit.ph & AyosDIto”. In short, “raketero”.

In this time where almost everything can be done digitally, it is hard to differentiate working from living. As I have said, it may either make you “work too much and live too little” or the other way around.

There are certainly pros and cons of working from home and the perception of its effectiveness depends on the situation, work nature of each individual and industry.

To start, let me first share my daily routine. I live in Marikina and for those who live in the same area, especially those who are very near Rizal will know how hard it is to commute from Marikina to the south, especially BGC.

By public transportation, it will take you at least almost 2 hours to get to BGC, Market-Market from Marikina with “regular” or “usual traffic” (not including the time consumed by lining up at the terminal).

If you think bringing your own ride to BGC is the solution, you will also have problems in looking for parking slots near your building, plus you must move it around from time to time since parking rates in BGC are way too expensive. Hassle diba? that whole routine alone usually takes around almost 4 hours, imagine how much you can do within that 4 hours (that is like half of your 8-hour office shift).

Now, working in a Digital Marketing Solutions company, we are allowed to work remotely.

I actually bought a new table recently so I can stay inside my room and still have a dedicated space for work. Having a proper workstation at home helps you condition to be in “work mode.”

It doesn’t have to be big and expensive. As long as your table is sturdy and spacious enough to accommodate your work essentials, plus a comfortable chair with backrest should do the trick.

Though it may seem impossible to get it here but, at least secure a stable internet connection to keep yourself connected to your team.

Next thing to do is convince yourself, working from home does not mean more time in bed. No! you should still act as if you are going to the office, take a bath, have your breakfast earlier and wear something decent as if you will see your colleagues in person.

The only difference now with my routine is that, although we have flexible schedules, I wake up at least an hour and a half before my usual preferred work schedule. It is also now easier to adjust schedules if workload is heavier on some days.

The biggest challenge with this type of setup is finding the right balance between life and work. Most leads/managers will be tempted to micro-manage, and most employees will have to bear the impact of this pandemic.

Fortunately, YOYO provides enough structure to support these kinds of situations. We also have freedom to suggest work dynamics that will work for us as a team. We still stay connected through slack, do fun and exciting games through zoom and many more while being productive.

Working from home may not work for everyone, but it is definitely something we have to be grateful for. We get to learn new things, continue to contribute and share our talents and skills, reconnect with our friends and most importantly spend more time with our family.

Wishing you well and wins from home,
Carl