Work from home saga
Making people believe that you're actually working is tough!
2020 was wild. It made you wonder if this is what paying for your sins feels like. I don’t know about you, but I’m more than happy to never have another year like that again.
But instead of diving into the doom and gloom of it all, let's talk about the other side of lockdown. You know, the part where we all became amateur chefs, home gardeners, or — let’s be real here — just people desperately trying to figure out how not to drive our families (or ourselves) crazy. Some of us even rediscovered that our partners aren't half as bad as we thought! And let’s not forget the baby boom — apparently, Netflix and chill works!
Meanwhile, the corporate world had its own kind of chaos. Any company that could go remote did, and oh boy, did that throw corporate life into a panic. Suddenly, they couldn’t keep an eye on us, so they started coming up with weird ways to make sure we were actually working.
I mean, some of them were tracking every task like they were terrified we’d watch TikTok all day long. Honestly, I’ve never sent so many ‘progress updates’ in my life. I guess this is what it feels to be in a relationship where your partner has trust issues.
Fast forward to now, and while many people have returned to office life, I’m still part of that rare breed working fully remote. Glamorous, right? Well, not exactly. You see, working from home comes with some very unexpected challenges. Like, why does everyone assume that if I’m not in a meeting, I must be available for a chat or, even better, some household chores? Just because I’m sitting at my desk quietly doesn’t mean I’m free to discuss what’s for dinner or why the Wi-Fi is acting up.
It took me a while to make people believe that I get paid for doing work outside of meetings too — shocking, right?
I understand we weren’t originally supposed to work from home, but now that I do, I expect a bit more considerate behavior.
And then there’s the whole “trying to explain remote work to people who aren’t in IT” thing.
One day, my wife was talking to an elderly relative of ours and elderly lady asks my wife how I’m doing. Since it’s a weekday, she knows I’m working, but instead of asking if I’m “working from home,” she says, “He’s doing his homework, right?” Yep. Homework!
It’s not like I have to complete my work at home and then get it reviewed by my boss. Oh wait, that does sound like homework. Damn it!
We all had a good laugh, and honestly, I’m still laughing about it.
But nothing tops the savage honesty of children. So last summer, relatives visited us along with their three year old kid for my birthday. We had a great time — lots of food, fun, and memories. But the real highlight of the visit came during their train ride back home.
A friendly fellow passenger starts chatting with the kid, asking the usual questions: ‘What’s your name? Where are you from?’ blah blah blah. My niece proudly says, ‘We’re coming from Gotham city! My uncle lives there with his wife.’ Cute, right?
Then the passenger asks, ‘What do your parents and your uncle do?’
Now the kid, full of confidence, goes, “Mom gives me food and takes care of me. Papa goes to the office and works, and my aunt also goes to office to work.”
‘And what about your uncle?’
Long pause.
‘He lives in his home.’
That’s it. My entire existence summed up in five words: ‘He lives in his house.’ Apparently, in her eyes, I don’t work, cook, or — dare I say — do anything to be a contributing adult. Nope. I’m just some guy who lives in his home. The end. Since I didn’t go out to work in the morning, the little kid didn’t realize that I worked too.
Honestly, it felt like a remix of Cardi B’s “I don’t cook, I don’t clean, but let me tell you how I got that ring,” except now it’s, ‘I don’t cook, I don’t clean, and my niece definitely doesn’t care how I got that ring.’
Did I just use Cardi B’s lyrics to describe my state? Please pray for me.
However, did I get sad after hearing this story? Nope.
I’m a firm believer in adapting, improvising, and overcoming. So when I have kids — and if I still have a remote job — I’m going to stage my workday like it’s an Oscar-winning performance. I’ll pack my lunch, leave the house for a few hours, and come back home like, ‘Phew, what a tough day at work!’ Just to show them I actually work!
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
So, after navigating the world of remote work, dealing with family confusion, and making sure future kids don’t think I’m just some guy ‘living in Pune,’ I’ve come to one conclusion: working from home is like an endless episode of trying to prove you’re actually busy. Sure, I miss office snacks, but I definitely don’t miss commuting!
But let’s be honest — if remote work becomes the forever norm, do you think we’ll ever stop pretending to be ‘on a call’ just to avoid doing the dishes? Asking for a remote friend!
😂loved this piece
Too relatable. I ask the same questions to me. Working remote is sometimes like working 24/7 and not a fixed schedule. Schrodingers cat h life, you are always working and you are never working.