Delvinia

Hi Adam

Happy Friday!

I would like to mention that I sincerely appreciate the fact that you encourage all employees, regardless of position or seniority, to reach out to you directly – especially by phone! I have never seen someone in such a senior position do that before, and I think it speaks volumes for your character. It honestly makes me proud to work for you and Delvinia, so I just wanted to let you know how much value I believe there is in that gesture.

I feel well prepared for social distancing; I became well-accustomed to the practice while on maternity leave earlier this year. Being a first-time mom, staying home with my newborn throughout the winter felt the most comfortable, with one weekly outing to the grocery store becoming my new normal. Upon returning to work this spring, the prospect of going into the office daily sounded wonderful, so I was initially disappointed when after only one week in the office I was back to being home all day!

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) is difficult.  My heart goes out to my coworkers with multiple children! Without access to childcare, my husband and I balance the responsibilities as best we can. What I have learned is that my best on a Thursday afternoon may look different than my best on a Tuesday morning, and I am okay with that during this global pandemic. I try to invent new ways to preserve old routines for both the sake of my mental health and to maintain productivity. What I have realized for myself is that I need focused time for both work and quality time with my child. For me the solution is getting up early, hours before sunrise, and focusing on the items that I cannot multi task. I plan for interruptions, and build extra room into my daily schedule to accommodate distractions. When careful planning fails, the mute button on zoom calls is invaluable!

I am taking this opportunity to create a workspace I enjoy working in, as opposed to moving from one room to another while working from home like I used to.  I am finishing my home office right now, splurging on fresh paint and plants to create my ideal work environment. Working from home by choice under normal circumstances is a benefit I have always appreciated, and now when things normalize I will have my ideal work-from-home space perfected.

These are unprecedented times, and I appreciate that Delvinia management recognizes that this is a difficult time for many and goes above and beyond to ensure we feel well supported and connected. Staff challenges, virtual meet ups, and daily email updates are always welcomed to help me feel connected. I appreciated the check in call from HR to ensure I personally am doing well and opening the space for me to provide feedback in terms of how I can be best supported while working remote. Reaching out to every employee by phone is surely a time-consuming initiative, but I am thankful for the effort. Employee engagement is more important now than ever, so I am happy that we are provided so many different ways for us to regularly connect. It does not go unnoticed!