Sunday, February 7th, 2021
We have been living in a very different world for nearly a year; we see this in our everyday life. Still wearing masks and social distancing remains a vital element in fighting the pandemic and spread of COVID-19.
Typically, remote work is often viewed as a satellite office or a co-working space, whereas working from home, is actually, working from home. For purposes of this blog, the terms of “remote work” and “working from home” are interchangeable. For many people remote work has become commonplace and I fully recognize it is not for every profession. There are many very serious implications to the way in which our region will function and how public policy and planning becomes critical as we forge new paths while recovering from the devastation of this pandemic.
What Do We Know
The Changing Nature of Work has affected many aspects of everyday life, the economy, and the real estate market. Since last March, there has been a drastic increase in the number of remote workers conducting business from their homes. This has forced a new way of conducting business, which has traditionally been done in person, around conference tables, and by attending events with large groups of people.
The traditional 9-5 day in the office is no longer the norm or a condition of employment. Many employers are recognizing remote work as a benefit to the employee and to their own bottom line. The employer can drastically reduce their cost of infrastructure – less office space. Technology has allowed working from home feasible and efficient in a number of ways. Virtual meetings through Zoom, WebEx, Google Teams, and other platforms has become more widely accepted and is the norm.
The employee now has the ability to eliminate, or shorten their commute and have more time for family and community. Therefore, the residential real estate market in the Hudson Valley has witnessed skyrocketing prices as demand has increased, interest rates have remained extraordinarily low. In fact, many economists believe the inventory levels are dangerously low with serious long-term value consideration. Demand has been particularly high for larger homes with sufficient space for a home office and even other in-home amenities like home gyms and media rooms.
Simultaneously, the demand for office space in the highly dense urban core of NYC has declined. The magnetism of NYC will never go away and there is insufficient data to claim a long-range trend in office space demand. However, small office space in the Hudson Valley and the co-working office models are seeing an increase in demand.
Remote work, in part, has caused a demographic shift from the urban core to the suburbs. Whether that is a short- or long-term trend, current events are reshaping the 21st century model of how and where we work.
The New Home Office:
Warning – parts of this blog attempt to add a bit of levity to the topic and paradigm shift of working from home. As my grandfather use to say, back in the early 1970’s, “sometimes, Giuseppe (my Sicilian nickname), ya just gotta laugh.”
Working from home, and the daily routine has been – let’s say – a little disrupted. “See you later this evening,” and “Hi, honey! I’m home!” has taken on new meaning. From the change in wardrobe to the lack of a commute, working from home has its benefits and challenges – a balancing act, at the very least.
The Wardrobe. “Hmmmm – what do I wear today?” Is it a sweat pants day, a pajama bottom day – or do I need to put on “Real” pants? Hmm… I have a meeting… no hoodie and baseball cap today. The dry cleaning bill has certainly gone down.
The Commute. Not having to commute to work saves time and money. Routines such as, stopping for coffee, enjoying music or a podcast (hopefully Patterns & Paradigms) as you drive to work, is gone for many people. I have heard some folks are actually getting into their car in the morning, driving around in circles for 20-minutes, grabbing a coffee, and then landing back in the driveway – just for a touch of the “good ol’ days.”
The loss of commute time has either increased the length of the workday from 8 or 9 hours to 10, 11, or even 12 hours. For those who are able to keep an 8-hour workday, while simultaneously shifting their hours to say 8am to 4pm has created “free time.” Some have been able to flex into a four-day workweek and open up an entire extra day during the week.
Taken together – the time gained due to no commute, and flexible hours, have allowed people to volunteer, or “DIY” it around the house. Staycations, rather than vacations, have contributed to more home improvement projects because of travel bans. This has resulted in an entire army of weekend warriors storming the aisles of the local hardware store, Lowes, and Home Depot.
The Space Challenge. If your house or apartment is not set up for working at home – it can create a conundrum. Some people work at a kitchen table or a corner in the living room – while others have converted a bedroom into an office. Families have had to figure out how to share the same space or room. Regardless of the set-up, sharing space is a challenge. The ability to “close the door” as a way of separating work from home is not available for everyone.
Enter the Kids. As we all know – schools are closed, open, closed again, or running a hybrid model of in-person and virtual. Any which way, juggling the work/school schedule is a part-time job unto itself. For those with kids at home, you may find yourself jotting notes with your kids crayon, or finding a term paper on the Great Gatsby in your work printer. My kids have left the nest, excusing me of this juggle. So, for those who have school age kids – hats off to of you – great work – lots of kudos.
Lions, and tigers, and bears – oh my! The family dog or cat have become Zoom celebrities. I see many cats in the background or walking on the keyboard. I have even seen a few goldfish from time to time. I have three dogs, and I try to keep them separated, or they will wreak havoc in the house, terrorize the cat, creating much distraction, albeit humorous distraction, at times. With my wife working at home as well – we share dog sitting, and backyard pee-break duties. My Maggie Mae, the prettiest of the three dogs, is usually “Zoom bombing” the frame, either sleeping on the couch, or perched up looking out the window. Occasionally Bella, the cutest of the three dogs, makes a cameo appearance. Willow, the shyest of the three dogs, is typically hiding under the desk.
Office Hours. As I indicated above, the traditional 9-5 is out the door, reminding us that life-work balance is important. Some people can literally walk into their home office, close the door, and only come out for lunch. The 15-minute break in our current pandemic home office environment, has turned into, me opening the door, watching Maggie Mae bolt out and trip over here sisters, as they race to the back door pleading to go out into the yard. Along the way, I ask my wife, in her pandemic home office, “Do you need anything from the ‘cafeteria’?”
Random Incidentals:
Sick Leave. Well, maybe not so much. Assuming we are all wear masks, social distance, and wash our hands after every grocery store run – getting sick should be a thing of the past.
Getting out of a meeting – fake a broadband or Wi-Fi outage to duck and cover from a staff meeting. No IT person available.
(All in good humor and I hope you had a chuckle!)
On a final and more serious note – Working from home is not the panacea that some may think. On one end of the spectrum, it can be a difficult balance with many challenges. On the other end of the spectrum, there are those with the capacity to be as effective and efficient as in a traditional office setting. Many agencies, firms, and local governments have excelled while reducing the cost of operations.
Other issues and challenges associated with remote work include onboarding new employees, the sense of being a team, loss of corporate culture, and the impact of social disconnect. Many people miss the watercooler chat and traditional coffee break. Onboarding is especially difficult for young professionals just entering the workforce.
In closing – I must also take this opportunity, to once again, thank all of the essential workers. The people we count on every day – people in healthcare, education, police and fire, and retail operations. People working in manufacturing, construction, warehousing, shipping, transportation, and hospitality. To those folks that cannot work from home, I am greatly appreciative of their incredible work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit of those who have pivoted into new businesses and careers.
