A
rguably, the biggest benefit that has come from working remotely is flexibility. Major companies such as Indeed and Google no longer need an office filled with people to get the job done. Instead, they’re embracing and even extending their remote work options. Indeed announced that all 10,000 of their employees will remain remote until July 2021. According to Business Insider, the company also stated that it’s planning on making remote work a more permanent option on a case-by-case basis. In July, Google extended its workfrom-home policy until June 2021. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, said he released a survey to his employees, which came back with more than half wanting a hybrid schedule even after the pandemic is over. Many other companies such as American Express, Airbnb, Uber and Facebook are now extending their remote policies. University of Miami alumna Lauren Bruno is currently a freelance art director based in Los Angeles. For her, the biggest setback of working from home has been finding a balance between work and her social life. “When I was working from home with nothing to do during quarantine, I was always available,” she said. “I was
76 DISTRACTION Main Event
working ridiculous hours all through the day and night. I finally got to the point where I realized I was going to get burnt out if I didn’t make me time.” Hayley Buchholz, another UM alumna who works as an art director at Good Kid, faced similar challenges. “It could be hard to separate work from down-time when they are both happening in the same place,” Buchholz said. Although this flexibility has given her time to workout and cook during her breaks, she said she has found it difficult to work and brainstorm with her colleagues over FaceTime. Both Bruno and Buchholz agree that even after COVID-19 is over, they prefer having a mix of both working remotely and from the office. “Not seeing my coworkers every day makes me upset,” said Bruno. "Human connection is lost a bit.” Buchholz said she’s in a similar position, noting that “sometimes it’s necessary to meet inperson and go to the office for important meetings.” By dividing her time in a more balanced way, Buchholz said she has found that her stress levels have decreased, and her overall happiness has increased. Although she says working from home will most likely not affect her career choices in the future, Buchholz thinks the advertising industry has been and will
