Presenters: Anneke Brand and Alison Downie

Abstract

Following almost two years of lockdowns and restrictions, the post-COVID world was very different to the one we left behind in 2019. Overnight, businesses found a way to operate online, with droves of employees leaving the office and working from home. Some of these organisations have not returned to a physical office space, preferring to give up their rented office space and give employees the freedom of working from home.

We will share our experiences of working remotely as full-time employees: how to go about navigating the online environment, developing working relationships with colleagues virtually and navigating different cultures and time zones.

In this informal session, the two presenters will discuss the challenges of working and developing a career in the online space (especially in South Africa with load-shedding lurking over one’s shoulders nearly every day!), the steep learning curves required to master new software and systems, the benefits and disadvantages of having an 8 to 5 remote job, and the wins and losses we’ve encountered along the way.

The presenters are two accredited PEG members who work remotely full-time, one for an international organisation and the other for a South African educational publisher. They will share their views on the pitfalls and pleasures of working virtually and what it takes to be a successful team member when one has not even met one’s colleagues in person.

Most PEG members are freelance language practitioners; however, being a full-time employee has many benefits to offer, which may be of interest to members considering this avenue of employment in the future. PEG members may benefit from some of the methods the presenters have used to overcome various challenges.