Working from home: IEMA employee experience

Back in Feb 2020 I celebrated 27 years working for IEMA (and its predecessors) – who would have thought that within a matter of a few short weeks the world would have changed so dramatically.

My roles at IEMA have been many and varied but predominantly office-based.

Prior to lockdown I would never have predicted that I would have taken to, and now actually enjoy remote-working from home.

Firstly I.T. has never been at the top of my favourite topics – I get by, by learning what I need to know to do my job.

I live 5 miles outside the city, and the IEMA Office and the journey can take anything from 20 minutes to over an hour – or more. I do not enjoy driving or sitting in traffic jams. Before the lockdown I really did not realise how much this impacted on my productivity and general well-being. I do not have a high power car, but still the carbon emissions from sitting in the stationary traffic are not going to help the environment.

I have found that working from home I am more productive and have a minimal commute to my dining room. I find I can plan my time better and have more flexibility, and that working from home has generally been good for my overall well-being.

From the point of view of the environment – IEMA should be a world leader by example and we have proven that working remotely can work, and with a little bit of thought, preparation and discipline we can all reduce the impact we are having.

Please note: the views expressed in this blog are those of the individual contributing member, and are not necessarily representative of the views of IEMA or any professional institutions with which IEMA is associated

Tammy Benson

Membership and Standards Officer, IEMA