For about a year now, since the beginning of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that led to sweeping restrictions instituted by government and businesses, many people have been spending all or a portion of their work week working from home.
This week, staff writer Joseph F. Berenato spoke with some of the people who have been working at home, whether they work for large companies or smaller businesses. His article provides a great deal of insight into how people are coping—and in some cases thriving—as they have shifted to home-based work.
We salute everyone who has adapted to the new way of working during the last year. Each individual employee and each individual businesses or government institution has had to make many sacrifices in order to stop the spread of COVID-19. In many ways those sacrifices have not been in vain, particularly now as New Jersey and the nation are seeing a decline in the numbers of people who have contracted the virus, hospitalizations due to the virus and deaths due to the virus.
While progress has been made, the virus remains prevalent and it appears restrictions will continue for the foreseeable future, even with people receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. That means people will continue to have to work from home in the coming months.
Adjustments continue to be made by employees who now face a more lonely, quieter workplace that is often shared with other uses in their homes (unless they have a home office or do some type or work that does not require a desk). As the months have gone by, staff members have adapted and made the best of a difficult and nearly unprecedented situation.
We look forward to the day when we write an editorial commenting on employees returning to workplaces. While some have commented on the end of the traditional workplace thanks to the pandemic, we don’t think such a sweeping change will happen so quickly, particularly if people can return to work. When that return does happen, it will be good news indeed.