Stuart Goodwin, Senior Client Services Analyst

Based in Civica's Collections business, Stuart's currently experiencing homeworking for the first time by spending the lockdown in his house share. 

How has your working life changed since the pandemic began?

This has been my first time working from home, so the initial few days were a change from being in the office! However, thanks to our IT engineers the transition has been extremely smooth.

How are you striking a good work-life balance?

I’ve been going for a walk on my lunch most days, or after work in the nearby fields which has helped break up the transition from ‘work’ to ‘home’.

What is the biggest challenge for you right now?

The biggest work-related challenge I’ve encountered is the lack of contact between colleagues who are normally based at the office. Having regular calls has helped this, but for morale and sharing ideas, nothing beats being in person.

How is Civica supporting you?

Civica has helped me to work from home for the first time by providing me with whatever kit I needed to be set up at home. We’ve also been regularly kept in the loop through company-wide emails and by continuing normal communications.

What are the upsides to your new working life?

One of the upsides is of course removing the need to travel into the office and avoid traffic; my hallway is a little quieter than the usual journey in!

What advice do you have for others who may be in the same or similar situation to you?

Try to stick to your usual routine: if you usually get up and exercise before work then still do so while working from home. Doing this allows you to break up the day and balance work and home life all under the same roof.

What are your top tips for socialising and relaxing outside of work right now?

Social media allows us to all connect easily, whether that be a video call to your family or a group chat with your friends. I have used a number of different video chat applications – Zoom, HouseParty, WhatsApp – my sister actually organised a virtual ‘pub quiz’ night over the weekend for my family!