Yesterday was National Work From Home Day and at Method, like many agencies in our industry, we adopted a flexible remote work policy in response to the pandemic. There have been countless articles and opinions shared over the last two years about work returning to “normal” and what that may look like: Is a hybrid approach the way to go? Is remote work leading to burnout? Is the office space dead?
At the onset of Covid, we made the decision to permanently expand our remote work program. We call it Method Anywhere and the response to that decision has been unanimously positive. While the data on working-from-home continues to come in, we’re listening to our own sample group — our people.
With Method Anywhere, we’ve attracted new talent from across the country and offered unprecedented flexibility to our team members. We asked a few folks to share their experiences and talk about how their lives have improved from the program. Here are some of their stories.
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“In the fall of 2019, my father was unexpectedly diagnosed with leukemia and passed away just 2 weeks later. His death left my mother, and our whole family, in a very difficult situation. My mom has Parkinson’s disease and although she was able to live alone, she needed regular and consistent help to do so. My father had been her primary caregiver but my parents lived over an hour away from any of my siblings — we suddenly had to find a different place for her to live.
At first we were considering assisted living but when the pandemic hit, that option became increasingly complicated and potentially unsafe. Method’s decision to allow us to work from home changed my options for her care — it possibly saved my mom’s life.
My siblings and I were able to find her a condo just down the road from my house. Without my daily commute, I had time to stop by mom’s house each morning and evening and check on her. If she needed help during the day, I was usually available to run down and help her. Since my mom’s Parkinson’s makes her a fall risk, it brought us both a lot of comfort to know that I was always closeby.
Over the last two years, Method has always been incredibly supportive of the time I needed to care for my mom during the work day. Without leadership’s support, my mom’s living situation would have been very different. Method Anywhere has allowed my mom a level of independent living she never could have had otherwise.”
— Amber Rawle
“Work from home flexibility has been so important to my personal life and career growth. I’m a remote veteran, I’ve actually been enjoying the work-from-home life for the last 7 years. It’s given me the ability to travel and experience new cities around the country I otherwise wouldn’t have seen. It’s allowed me to be home in rural Virginia with my Dad through his fight with terminal cancer. And more recently, it let me move to the beach (my pups are going to live their best life in the water!).
I’ve had the opportunity to be present and not forced to stay in a particular location because of my job which has been so good for my mental health. Method Anywhere has provided me the opportunity to prioritize my life, and not sacrifice a successful career.”
— Laura Ruark
“As a military spouse who has moved six times in the past six years, the constant anticipation of unexpected mobility weighs heavily on my mind. Last year, when I learned we’d be moving to a state where we knew no one, and were no longer just a drive away from family and friends it hit me hard. Not to mention I was pregnant with our first child!
Method Anywhere has been a savior to me and my family. Remote work means so many things to us. For one, knowing I’ll have a job when my next move inevitably happens brings such peace of mind (one more year in South Carolina, then who knows!). The flexibility I have to take care of my baby girl (and fur baby) means I can comfortably feel like I’m being a good mom. I also love having the freedom to visit my family in New Jersey without it impacting my ability to do my job.
None of these amazing benefits would be possible if I were stuck in an office. I can’t begin to describe the relief I have knowing that whatever comes next, the only thing that has to change is my home address.”
— Jessica Shapow