20191115Friday

 

Working Remotely (6)

 

 

Sugita: Our current vignette talks about the life of a digital nomad with Chuck Salmans telling the other staff about a man who travels around freely while working remotely for A & B. Does that sound appealing to you, Heather?

 

Heather: I don’t think that would be for me. I’ve enjoyed traveling in all my life. But I’ve always been glad at the end of trips to get back to the places and people that mean home to me. I like being surrounded by all my books, sitting and sleeping on my well-loved furniture. Having that familiar place. That is a refuge for my mind and heart. I’ve said before that my family has wanderlust. But it seems to be the kind where each new generation sets out for a new part of the country or the world and then sets up camp there. And even if I was more of the nomadic type, I couldn’t do it now because I have a child. Ah, I couldn’t live that kind of life with a daughter.

 

S: Actually you don’t have to travel to far corners of the world to become a digital nomad or at least a short-term nomad. A number of Japanese municipalities are trying to entice freelancers, entrepreneurs and regular company employees to experience the life of staycations and remote work by providing incentives such as affordable accommodations and IT support services. I saw a TV report about this. Participating companies pay for not only the accommodations of aspiring remote workers for certain periods of time but also for their air transportation. The companies also encourage their employees to take their families and cover their costs too. Offering such perks seems to have become an effective way to find and keep talented employees.

 

H: I’ll bet. That does sound appealing. But I think I’d still like to stay home. I’m a homebody – I really like baking cakes and cookies, for example, and I like having all my equipment at hand to whip things up. Also – and I worry this makes me sound a little nutty – I really like cleaning and tidying my home.

 

S: You’ve said before that you wouldn’t mind working from home for a few days a week.

 

H: Especially if I could be provided with a nice home office like the one Ueda describes. Ah, that is probably a very good investment on the part of that CEO. If I was going to work at home, I’d definitely set up more of a “workspace” than I have right now. An area that was designated and equipped specifically for work only, to help keep myself in the proper “I am working, not lounging at home” mindset.

 

S: There are ample signs that digital nomads and remote workers are on the rise as we see modern workstyles diversifying as third spaces and coworking spaces pop up. Many people can now choose any place to work as long as they have internet connections.

 

H: It’s wonderful to see that people are getting more work options, choices that can help them be happier and freer in their daily lives. People differ so much in their personalities and preferences. And the more we can embrace those differences and use them to our advantage, the better.

 

 

That’s all for today.

Thanks for tuning in. Bye.