For TOKTWD I went with my mother to her office. She works for the Government of Canada, Program Delivery. However, she works from home, so I suppose I didn’t really go anywhere except a different room in my house.

Here are my answers to the questions asked about Nov 1st

• What did you hear, see, smell, and feel in the work environment on Nov. 1st?

During my workday experience I heard my mother in a Bilateral meeting to discuss workload management, and a meeting with one of the Program Officers on her Team regarding Budget revisions for an organization. I saw my mother’s work from home set-up which included 2 monitors, a computer, a keyboard, a mouse, and a work phone. I smelt coffee in the morning, and salad when she was on her lunch break. I felt curious to learn about how her set up improves her performance at work. 

• What about the environment would motivate you to wake up every day to attend work? 

Given that I would be working from home, the fact that my office is right there and not far away would help to motivate me to get up in the mornings. I would get up get ready for the day and waltz right into my office all within 10 steps. I would not need to drive or take transit to get to the office.  would not need to step outside in the frigid winter. I could sleep more and get already be home at the end of the day. That is why I think that working from home is the way to go for all businesses. 

• What about the work environment would discourage you from waking up every day to attend work? 

Because I would be working from home, that means that I do not have to physically be in the workplace. This could cause a problem because you may think “No one can see me! I can stay in my PJ’s!!” Which we have all heard of before (let’s be honest). That could cause me to be less productive during the day. You also might want to get ahead with personal matters around the house and do those while you are “at work”. 

• What is ONE thing you found interesting about your workplace visit?

I find it interesting that my mother can work at home and get stuff done through all the distractions of life and family. Especially considering that right now, my family and I are living in an RV until we move into our new house, so things are tight. Everyone hears and sees everything. Which means when my mother is in a meeting, my father and I must be silent. Even still, she manages to complete everything at work, be in meetings, make me breakfast, plan our lives and deal with personal matters. She really is the ultimate multitasker. 

Below are a few photos

This photo is my mothers home office set-up

This photo is my mothers set-up from the back

This photo was me taking notes of a Meeting

This was me and my mother attending the Bilateral meeting