Hannah Haywood joined Bhayani Law as an employment lawyer on 9 March. After 10 days of working in the office, COVID 19 hit and she found herself working from her kitchen table. Hannah explains below how it felt to be a new member of the firm at such a strange time.
Accepting a new role within a new firm comes with the usual nerves, pressures and excitement. Combine this with the fact that I had recently returned from 6 months of travel I was more than ready to jump straight back into the legal world of work! I had been introduced to the Bhayani team and was enjoying getting to know how the office worked. However, this ‘introductory’ period lasted a whole 10 days before lockdown struck and we all had to work from home indefinitely. What should have been a quick question to a friendly colleague to confirm how a certain process worked, became a lengthy email or phone call, any socialising with new colleagues became impossible and my kitchen table became my new office.
For me personally, I have been very fortunate that Bhayani Law are very thoughtful and practical and have successfully adapted to the virtual nature of current working. Added to that, the ability to have a group and individual video calls has made it much easier than I first anticipated. We are lucky that we live in the era of connectivity however there is no substitute for face-face relationship building without a prearranged zoom call or accidental muting of colleagues. I faced many challenges in those first few weeks of lockdown, but it did allow me to demonstrate my ability to adapt and move with the ever-changing circumstances.
Having spoken with many employees and employers dealing with such similar circumstances it is clear that whilst many appreciate the reduced commute this doesn’t make up for the difficulties that come with remote working, as many have realised working from home isn’t quite all it’s cracked up to be!
Now things are working their way back into a ‘new normal’ it seems ridiculous to think I have been with Bhayani Law for almost 6 months when I have only been in the office a matter of weeks and I continue to learn how the business worked in pre-COVID times. However, with such a supportive team and a positive working environment, I am certain the next 6 months will fly by just as quickly as the last!
I very much look forward to a time when I can meet more of our clients face to face, and of course, a time when I can join the team for the legendary Bhayani social nights!
Contact me today by emailing [email protected] if I can help you with any aspect of employment law and HR.
