Why we asked our staff's perspectives on how they are handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here are the stories from 20 of my staff. Unfiltered, authentic and inspirational. I am so appreciative that they would share their perspective. I want it to show our collective strength and why we are able to be there for our clients, our partners, our friends and our families. Most importantly, I hope that it inspires, that others see that by sharing, it gives strength to get through this horrible time. We are all in this together, we need to support each other and we will see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world to its knees and no one has been left untouched by this crisis.  When our company initiated our business continuity plan on March 16, we implemented our work from home strategy for our entire company. While our plan was implemented flawlessly, it didn’t take into consideration the anxiety and fear among our staff as we suddenly became disconnected physically through self-isolation and social distancing.

I have given numerous media interviews discussing how we were so prepared to be able to efficiently go from almost 100 employees in one office, to a virtual company overnight. All the while being able to provide our clients the same level of service as if nothing was happening.

But a lot was happening.  The media was telling stories about large and small business owners suddenly having to shut down, the millions of employees who were getting laid off or furloughed through this unprecedented situation, and of course, the thousands of people that were being infected or were dying from the COVID-19 virus.

Managing the fear and anxiety with our staff became an exercise in active communications and empathy. Luckily, we haven’t had to make any layoffs, we continue to be able to service our clients with 100% productivity, and our Executive team has never been so in sync. This has helped us manage through this crisis.

But it is our employees who I am most proud of. They trusted our leadership, shared their concerns openly and are constantly finding solutions to solve every challenge we are facing. While I have been the spokesperson for our company about how we are managing through the crisis, I felt that it was important to also share the stories of my team who were working alongside me, supporting each other.

So, I decided in one of my daily emails to my staff, to ask if anyone would be willing to share their story about how they are managing through the pandemic working from home. I said that since we were in the fortunate position where our company was still running with no layoffs or salary reductions, that they should share their stories as inspiration to others less fortunate.  They could share their perspective about how they are doing working from home, how they were managing workload, what they were dealing with around them with family and friends. What they don’t like about working from home, how they are doing emotionally, their fears or concerns that were causing anxiety, or to simply share their positive attitude.  Most importantly, I wanted them to be genuine, so when they tell your stories, others can connect with them.

I was so impressed.  Here are the stories from 20 of my staff.  Unfiltered, authentic and inspirational.  I am so appreciative that they would share their perspective.  I want it to show our collective strength and why we are able to be there for our clients, our partners, our friends and our families.  Most importantly, I hope that it inspires, that others see that by sharing, it gives strength to get through this horrible time.  We are all in this together, we need to support each other and we will see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The Voices of Delvinia

Varun Jog

To be honest, this is not what I had planned for 2020. I’d completed my first full year in Canada in 2019, got a job that I loved, had plans to move to a bigger house and to travel to Europe in May with my wife for our 5th wedding anniversary...
Read Varun Jog's Story

Ahmer Khan

March started off for my wife and me falling very ill. After a couple of hospital visits and tests, we were relieved to have been given the clear from the Novel Coronavirus that is tearing through the world right now...
Read Ahmer Khan's Story

Danielle Govias

Any new mother returning to the workforce knows that it’s a very emotional time. You feel guilty for leaving your child, and then feel nervous about going back to work. Will I remember how to do my job? I am exhausted, scared, anxious, and about 100 other emotions...
Read Danielle Govias' Story

Amber Bartlett

I used to like numbers, they were so certain, so logical, so straight-forward and factual. I loved math; there was always an answer, numbers don’t lie. Then COVID-19 hit and now I hate numbers. I hate what they represent. I hate the new uncertainty...
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Roy Gonsalves

No stress and anxiety from me. Going a little stir-crazy feeling like Groundhog Day now. I’m fighting through that by enjoying the little things in life that I never had time to enjoy before...
Read Roy Gonsalves' Story

Natalie Kam

Finding a new routine has been the most difficult challenge along with being able to set my priorities between work and family. How do I manage my full-time job while meeting the needs of being a full-time mom?
Read Natalie Kam's Story

Craig Tothill

As I sit and gaze out my window at a beautiful blue sky, one could easily forget the chaos that is going on around the planet. The year 2020, a year like any other, until it wasn’t...
Read Craig Tothill's Story

Melanie Ackland

Working from home with my now 4-month-old baby has allowed me to spend more time with her, which I am thankful for, but working while managing a child (even just one child that takes naps)...
Read Melanie Ackland's Story

Melissa Hugh

As we enter our sixth week of the work from home policy and celebrate my first year as a working mom, in a new role and with a new company, I’ve been very reflective about the state of my family...
Read Melissa Hugh's Story

Kyle Kinsey

Having your entire day-to-day routine turned upside down at the flip of a switch is not easy to adjust to. However, we all have to do our part to stop the spread, and help flatten the curve...
Read Kyle Kinsey's Story

Joanne Mallett

To sum up how I feel succinctly, I have a lot of mixed emotions. I love working from home, I always have. I like ditching my commute and instead spending that extra time with my dog...
Read Joanne Mallett's Story

Randy Matheson

I miss my commute. I never, ever thought I’d say ,‘I miss my commute’. But that’s exactly what I found myself saying as Week 4 of working from home was winding down...
Read Randy Matheson's Story

Ibtesam Noor

Being a parent must be the most rewarding yet most exhausting experience that many of us have or will encounter (those little humans don’t come with instruction manuals!)...
Read Ibtesam Noor's Story

Chris Witkowski

I’m out in Halifax for the last couple of weeks and hearing about the weather this morning almost made me miss Toronto. Almost. Weather has not been great out here...
Read Chris Witkowski's Story

Anonymous

It’s springtime in Ontario. The robins have begun their choral alarms at daybreak. The scent of mud and melting freshwater lakes filter through the budding maples...
Read Anonymous' Story

Brett Cohen

This is a COVID-19 perspective of a recently divorced father of a 9 and 12-year-old, whose primary responsibility is to drive sales for of a US start up. I’ve been working from home for...
Read Brett Cohen's Story

Angela Lau

My name is Angela Lau and I am the VP of Corporate Operations here at Delvinia. I’ve been with the company for just over 9 years and have been fortunate enough to hire great people, manage a team I love...
Read Angela Lau's Story

Daniel Brousseau

To say that our lives will never be the same is far from being a far-fetched prediction. Our lives will change and for the most part, for the better. Needless to say, our morning routine has changed considerably...
Read Daniel Brousseau's Story

Alessia Fusca

I am quite new at this organization. As I write this, I have been here for exactly 8 weeks. And as someone that has the tendency to be a bit off a worrywart, I was afraid during the first week of self-isolation...
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Kwami Lewis

My first true thoughts about the coronavirus happened when I landed in La Guardia (NY) for the Quirks Brooklyn Conference on March 2. It was just after the 1st official case in NYC had been confirmed and I didn’t...
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Tanya Belisle

On Monday, March 16th, Delvinia started working from home. The first few days were a blur as we all settled in, but by the end of the week, I was settling into a new routine. While the news reports were...
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Yameen Tejpar

I’ve been thinking about normal a lot. My normal to be specific and how much I miss it. I miss starting my day at the Y – not because I miss the exercise (I do, sort of), but because I miss engaging with my neighbour...
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Peter Henry

If you get to know me, you’ll quickly learn that I’m an introvert. I do enjoy interacting with people (including my wife, haha), but I do enjoy my solitude so the transition to working at home has been...
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