Page 37 - AdNews May-June 2020

Better Workplaces
Work and family combined.
WFH: The new normal
Mental health, long hours and short tenures are just some of the issues synonymous with the advertising industry. In this special edition of Better Workplaces, AdNews takes
a look at the ways in which GroupM agencies are adjusting to the new working from home (WFH) lifestyle.
With so many employees, working from home (WFH) set-ups are as diverse as the workforce itself, which creates different challenges for everyone. As an advertising business, GroupM has made sure it is mindful of that. Flexibility, adaptability and empathy are important. There are people who live on their own; those who live with their parents; and those with families.
“Agile has new meaning for me now,” says Essence managing director James Graver. “Mornings are based in the spare room on a newly acquired desk. I then move to the playroom to learn the art of drawing fairies with my three-year-old.
“My wife and I then switch around and, in the afternoon, we power through work with one eye on the afternoon trampoline class.”
Many people live with friends and housemates, some are lucky enough to have a dedicated workspace in a spare room, while others are gathered around the kitchen table. Those who can are taking the opportunity to get outside as often as they can to take a breather.
“My housemate and I share our dining table as a workspace, and I use old PlayStation games to prop up my laptop and our spare TV as my second screen,” says Mindshare manager Dhruv Sawhney.
“If I had to describe it in a nutshell, it feels like something Bear Grylls would pull together if he had to survive at home rather than in a desert.”
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