pandemic was a strange and uncertain time. We locked ourselves at home to avoid a new scary virus. It wasn’t all bad, though. Our morning commute went from hours in traffic to 20 steps to the living room. Family time increased, which consisted of Zoom calls and becoming professional banana-bread bakers. It was challenging, but we adapted to the new normal. However, there were significant downsides to the pandemic, which are still evident.
Although leaving the house is easier now, there is still the worry at the back of our minds that we might expose ourselves or our loved ones to Covid by performing daily tasks. Three6five was one of those companies. Hard lockdowns and office health and safety restrictions had little impact on our business because we were ready to set up to work remotely. Our teams could work effectively from home, and many of them threw themselves into their work, going above and beyond, working countless hours, and sacrificing family and personal time to show appreciation for their “luck”.
Overcoming this “new normal” has proved challenging. But it’s not just our business that’s struggling. Many companies are seeing how this new way of working has affected their operations and their employees’ mental health. There are new trends in the workplace, like the “Great Resignation” and “quiet quitting”, as more people realise that it’s not worth sacrificing their health, happiness and sanity for their jobs.
It’s a conscious effort, but it’s making our company more kind and helping us see each other not just as “employee number X” but as people with hobbies, families and geysers that burst.