I know it has been a while since my last pet peeve post. I’m sure you missed my rants. This round of pet peeves is focused on annoyances with working from home.
- Not really normal working from home: First, yes people are working from home; but not really. They are also potentially helping family and friends, dealing with uncertainty/chaos, unable to get access to tech setup needs, and maybe dealing with loss. This would be more more accurately labeled “attempting to work from home”. So although this will help companies learn how to better support working from home options, this should also not be the sole determination/judgement of working from home.
- Expecting availability beyond core hours: Now I’ve never really had a job (or at least I didn’t think of it that way) with hours that I refused to work outside of. I’ve basically always approached my work from being available. That said, I very much respect that this is a choice I make and not everyone has to make the choice in their role. Yet, when people work from home, this courtesy seems to be completely ignored.
- Dress Appropriately: I know the running joke right now is “be sure to wear pants” but seriously, this is not even something people should have to say ever. Working from home is not an excuse to show up to a meeting in your pjs or clearly not showered for days. If you wouldn’t go to work in what you are wearing or smelling like, don’t show up on a video call either!
- Not using headphones or using mute: Loud typing people, I’m talking to you. Person that just sneezed directly into their mic headset, I’m talking to you. Person that answers their phone while on a meeting, I’m talking to you. Person driving in their car, I’m talking to you. Be aware of the background noise that everyone is very aware of. Luckily, I’ve had no one try to go to the bathroom while on a call…I’m very thankful for that!
As much as these are pet peeves, they are mine and as a leader that doesn’t mean I get to simply judge others. Instead, these serve as opportunities for others and for me to grow. If this stuff was easy, I wouldn’t be sharing.
What are your “working from home” pet peeves?
