This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Madison Crane. It has been edited for length and clarity.
For most of my career, I’ve worked remotely, as an English as a second language teacher to Spanish students, director of operations at a social media marketing company called Schedult, head of remote at The Remote Company, and now as the customer success lead at Offsite.
This working pattern has enabled me to visit family and travel abroad without taking time off work.
I work around my kid’s schedule
When visiting my parents, who live in different states, I would work during the day while they worked too, and we’d all come together in the evenings to spend time with each other. I visited several countries and am now able to live in Spain for part of each year. My work doesn’t suffer — I can get all my tasks done because my place of work doesn’t impact my ability to work.
Nearly two years ago, I gave birth to my little boy. While I was pregnant, I arranged my schedule around how I was feeling. If I needed to nap, I napped. If I needed food, I ate. If I had a doctor’s appointment, I went.
When my son was born, I just couldn’t bear to send him to day care at 3 months old. I know lots of people don’t have a choice, but because I worked remotely, as did my husband, I did. For the last two years, we’ve arranged our house to be both a working office and day care.
Our routine is that first thing in the morning, my grandfather comes in for a coffee. Once he leaves, around 9 a.m., we start working.
Those morning hours are when our son plays well independently, so this is the time we both get the most work done. Without meaningless meetings or coffee breaks, I can get so much done in a short amount of time.
In our living room, we set up toys, activities, and snacks that our son can play with while we both work at the kitchen table, taking turns to get him what he needs.
If I need to have a meeting or get a time-sensitive task done, I go to the basement to work, and my husband stays with our son. And it’s the same in reverse if my husband has a meeting.
It is distracting at times, but we’ve formed a routine that we are all familiar with. Midday, my grandfather will often come over again, and we all take a walk together. I’ll log back on to my work computer later in the day to finish off whatever I’d started in the morning.
Once the work I’ve scheduled for the day is done, I log out and enjoy my son.
It feels more natural to work like this
This type of working feels natural, more in line with how we as human beings are supposed to live. I see natural sunlight every day. I don’t eat in front of my computer. I spend time with my young child. I complete tasks around the house. I see friends.
My life feels full and well-rounded — not just full of commuting to work, working, and commuting home from work.
I feel well and healthy, and that produces better work in a more efficient time frame. I’m certain that I’m a better employee because I can work flexibly.
There are times I’d like to see my colleagues more, but our company does work to create connection points with colleagues. We check in on each other throughout the day, and have regular in-person meet-ups throughout the year.
My work colleagues aren’t my only friends, so perhaps this is why I don’t struggle with not seeing them daily. I have friends outside work who are my primary support network and social circle. I can imagine, though, for someone who views their workplace as their primary social interaction, remote working could prove to be lonely.
I would quit if I had to return to the office
While remote working was widely accepted during the pandemic, I know companies are pushing for return-to-office mandates, stating that workers are more efficient in the office.
My reaction is that if you have a leadership team that is collaborative and intentional, creating expectations for work and how to measure output, and hiring trustworthy employees who are confident they will get the work done, then there is no need to return to the office. It’s up to leadership to build a company culture that promotes efficient, flexible working.
In a recent conversation with a CEO from another company, he told me he was considering having his employees return to the office. I said to him: “If my boss told me I had to return to the office, I’d quit.”
That’s how much remote working means to me.
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