This is how some Hamiltonians are adjusting to working from home

COVID-19 has completely shaken up how we do work.

For residents living in the Royal Connaught, adjustments to maintain day-to-day business activity comes in all fashions and these next nine spotlights may give you the inspiration you need on how to make the most out of the current situation.

Sabrina is in the process of completing her integrated design degree at Parsons Design School while juggling her freelance graphic design business simultaneously. As she’s emerged from her two weeks of mandatory self-isolation after a visit to New York City, Sabrina’s adjusted to her new routines for work, for school, and for sharing space with her family again.

Sabrina’s must-have items? Her sketchbook and her planner, both of which she keeps by her side at all times. Though much of the work she completes for clients and for school is digital, Sabrina finds it crucial to switch to analog methods, particularly as she plans out project schedules and allocates her time for the day. She’s also been leaving her phone in another room and turning off notifications as she works to minimize distractions and keep focused given the increased activity across social media.

Continuing her studies using only online platforms has been a challenge as much of Sabrina’s classwork requires the use of studios. Her family home in Hamilton is also a completely different setting from the hustle and bustle of New York City, but Sabrina says she appreciates the relaxation in direct contrast to her busy social life when she’s at school. It’s a time she can shift her focus to other priorities.

Robert has worked from home in his role at SonicWall, a company that sells cyber security, since November 2019. Working remotely has been positive overall for Robert and he experienced a significant improvement to work-life balance. He used to commute almost three hours per day and would also use the 407-highway series to cut down on driving time, costing nearly $400 per month. Now that he works from home, he has gained time back from his commute while saving money.

Robert’s wife has noticed that he is happier, more energetic, and generally more enthusiastic since he started working from home, which he attributes to being able to sleep more and have more personal time. They moved into the Royal Connaught about a year ago, drawn to the project because of the building history and location. He had planned to retire within the next couple of years, but now that he can work remotely, he is changing those plans and will likely work longer.

For Robert, incorporating routine into his day and keeping his calendar up to date is a must. He schedules his to-do list to ensure they are completed and connects with his boss and colleagues through Skype and Zoom. They’ve also incorporated a virtual happy hour to continue to socialize — key for humans! In addition, he gets dressed for work every day which helps him shift into his work persona.

Much of Dustin’s work can be done remotely using videoconferencing. However, he has faced some slowdowns from being unable to visit archives and some of his clients are hesitant to use video calls. For Dustin, it’s important to wake up and do a workout to get endorphins flowing and keep his mood lifted. Dustin splits his time between living in Toronto with his partner and the Royal Connaught, where he is a caregiver for his sister who is disabled. When he works from his condo in Toronto, him and his partner share the space and have adjusted to competing conference calls.

When in Hamilton, Dustin and his sister get creative with activities while they spend time together. There are a lot of challenges that people who are vulnerable face during a situation such as COVID-19. With programming being cancelled, family members such as Dustin are taking on the responsibilities of a Personal Support Worker, Counsellor, and Personal Trainer. If you’re able, reach out to your neighbours to see if anyone needs a little extra help while we’re at home.

For Sarah, an owner of a fitness studio in downtown Hamilton and part-time registered nurse in the ICU, shifting to working from home was a no-brainer to help protect the community during these uncertain times. She made the executive decision to close the fitness studio before any government recommendations, recognizing the importance of limiting the spread of COVID-19.

Her two-bedroom condo in the Royal Connaught is now the backdrop for the free online barre classes. Filming workouts at home means constant furniture removal and rearrangement, as well as taking special considerations for sound, lighting, and clear instructions for at-home viewers. So far, classes have been free as Sarah wanted to offer her community fitness opportunities for stress relief and to encourage people to stay home. Soon, the studio will shift to an $30 membership per month to cover overhead fees and staff salaries. For Sarah, keeping her staff paid and paying for the studio space is top priority.

As a critical care nurse, Sarah supports patients in Hamilton who are facing serious health challenges. Still, she plans to take things one day at a time and reminds us all to take care of one another.  In her words, she reminds us to focus on what we can control in these uncertain times: how we react to situations and how we treat one another. We are stronger than we think and stronger when we work together.

Caitlin, is a Senior Manager of Ticketing and Client Services of an OHL team. With the OHL season postponed until further notice, Caitlin’s responsibilities have shifted and is now working from her condo at the Royal Connaught. She feels lucky that her dad installed an outlet at her kitchen island which is also equipped with comfy stools and has become her main working area, though she sometimes sits on the couch or moves to the Royal Connaught downstairs lobby for a change of scenery.

Caitlin says working from home has been easier than she anticipated, as long as she starts the day off with a to-do list as though she were working from the office. This keeps her on track and helps to stop her mind from wandering. It helps her see what she accomplished at the end of the day which motivates her more. Caitlin shifted her schedule to maximize her high productivity levels in the morning. She feels like she has less interruptions at home than in the office, which is helping her become more efficient.

Recently finishing an MBA program, Caitlin sees this time at home as an opportunity to slow down after a crazy season of life. She’s enjoying cooking her meals at home and completing workouts during her work break. In general, Caitlin says that this quiet time will help with appreciating the small things in life. We couldn’t agree more!

As a self-described introvert, shifting to working from home has been bliss for Sarah… and it’s come with an upgraded morning coffee, brewed in her own kitchen! In her role as a Digital Marketing Specialist for Mary Kay Canada, Sarah already relies on web-based technologies and she has not experienced any capability challenges with working remotely.

Sharing the condo space with her boyfriend while they’re both working from home has been another story. To maximize both their efficiency and effectiveness, they’ve established firm working space boundaries throughout the day, with Sarah working from the bedroom and her boyfriend stationing in the kitchen. Sarah gets comfortable and often works on her bed, enjoying the abundant natural light filtering in through the windows, the fresh air, and frequent visits from their pet cat who is absolutely thrilled that both of her humans are home throughout the day now. Using noise-cancelling headphones have made getting into work mode a breeze, and during lunchtime, Sarah will pause to complete a “Yoga with Adrienne” video for a relaxing and invigorating break.

While the unfolding COVID-19 situation is challenging and stressful, Sarah is opting to use this time for self-improvement. Alongside the daily yoga practice, she’s cut down her typical evening TV consumption and is instead investing her time in online courses and training to further her skill-set, taking up the ukulele, and completing extra spring cleaning and small projects in the condo.

Working from home isn’t the only change Carla has had to make recently – she’s been tasked with re-thinking her entire job process. As the owner of Charles & Hunt, a men’s wardrobe styling and personal shopping retailer, with an emphasis on weddings and custom made-to-measure suits. The bricks and mortar store has been closed since mid-March and Carla has been finding new ways to support and connect with her clients until the situation is stable enough to open again.

Though most weddings have been postponed for the foreseeable future, Carla has been working hard to transition her service-based business to be more compatible with the digital world. To do this, she’s been creating personal look-books for her long-standing clients, featuring styles that fit their profiles. It’s been a huge transition and a learning curve as she is relying more on graphic design programs she doesn’t traditionally use like InDesign. Despite the circumstances, she’s found that her clients are still looking to update their spring wardrobes, particularly as they’ve had more time to clean out their closets.

To cope with the constantly evolving situation, Carla is keeping active as possible, which she has also found helps her remain productive and focused. Every morning, she completes a short yoga video as part of a new 30 day challenge she’s undertook. She also completes a workout at lunchtime and tries to keep active in the early evening. What’s helped her the most during this time of social distancing is staying connected with her family and friends by using tools like FaceTime. One of her close friends coordinated drop-offs of gifts to the entire friend group, and they plan to do an opening on Zoom. The ability to keep lines of communication open is a silver lining for Carla, who reminds us that we’re all facing this together.

Working from home isn’t just new for Walmir… he’s also new to Canada! In early January, he was transferred from Brazil to Hamilton for his role as an Assistant Analyst at ArcelorMittal Dofasco. Though his company offered the opportunity to work from home two times per week, Walmir opted to go to the office every day, wanting to network with his new colleagues and meet new people. Shifting to working completely remote as a result of COVID-19 hasn’t been easy, but Walmir is naturally optimistic and is focusing on the fact that this won’t be forever, but rather is what is necessary right now to help the world and other people. He shares his space with his partner which has had its challenges, especially as Walmir works on the dining table which is in close proximity to the living area and television where his partner spends most of the day. With a variety of meetings and deliverables each day, Walmir wears a headset and sets boundaries with his partner as to when the two can chat throughout the day. Leaving behind their busy social life in Brazil wasn’t easy for Walmir and his partner, especially as his partner doesn’t speak English fluently. Regardless, Walmir says that Canadians have amazed him with how kind and receptive they are to people from other cultures. Three months in, they’ve already made great friends that they have a “beautiful” relationship with. He’s grateful his management team uses online platforms to acknowledge milestone events like retirement celebrations and have been keeping morale high by staying connected with employees and asking them to share their experiences with working from home so far.

Paulina received word that she’d be working from home in early March — and so she sprang into action fast. Her first task? Converting her den space in the Royal Connaught which was in-use as a closet into her home office space. Paulina shares her home with her partner and knew that she would need her own zone to be productive and get things done.

Her new home office space has been arranged to be a fully functional work set-up — she has a desk, chair, double monitor, and printer all in the space. Paulina has also prioritized comfort alongside functionality, bringing a personal touch of wellness to her set-up by including framed family photos, a salt lamp, a diffuser, and a plant.

Creating strong physical boundaries in her home has been essential for Paulina to be productive while still enjoying the comforts of home. To maintain these boundaries, Paulina limits working time to when she is in her office unless she can step outside during a call, and when she takes breaks to eat a meal, none of her devices follow. It’s a true moment to pause and relax in her personal sanctuary.

All illustrations by Sabrina Spallacci.

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• coronavirus
• COVID-19
• Hamilton
• HamOnt
• Royal Connaught