Seeing Opportunity in Adversity

Our Coronavirus Journey – Part 2 

As we discussed in Our Coronavirus Journey – Part 1, we’ve been gradually adjusting to the changes in or lives since the Coronavirus outbreak started. While many of the implications are negative, we’re seeing opportunity in the adversity.

It would be easy to become overwhelmed and give up in such challenging circumstances. But there will always be new avenues to explore in unprecedented times.

Being self-employed, Miss Way’s work has almost immediately dried up. As a music teacher, she would usually be going into several schools every day to deliver full class and individual tuition. As she’s currently 26 weeks pregnant, we immediately decided she should stay home when we realised the seriousness of this virus.  

Despite the help for the self-employed announced recently, Miss Way won’t qualify. She is the sole employee and Director of a limited company. This is where our FIRE ‘training’ really comes to the fore and our emergency fund will be our saviour.

It’s so disappointing to see how many people throughout the country are ill-prepared for events like this. Let’s hope this can be a lesson in being financially prepared, although we won’t hold our breath. 

My job is full time so it’s somewhat more secure. However, as I’m in the construction sector, we expect things to be pretty up and down over the next few months. I’ve worked my hardest over the last few years to ensure I’m a valued employee, but you never quite know! 

How well has my company been managed, in order to survive circumstances like these? Recent evidence does not bode well……

Despite all of this, we’re trying to remain positive and see opportunity in the inevitable adversity we now face.  

Here are some of the ways we have each tried to take advantage of our current situations. First, over to Miss Way! 

Miss Way

As soon as I realised I needed to stay away from schools (despite them still being open) I organised to deliver my full class brass lessons online. Credit to the schools, four of them embraced this opportunity with open arms.  

I had a stressful morning of setting up technology! I managed, by the end of the day, to have successfully taught 2 full class brass lessons online. Not a revolutionary concept to those of you in the business world, but no mean feat in an English primary school.  

The level of technology in primary schools is not renowned for being reliable, or particularly advanced. I can’t say they were the best lessons I have ever delivered. But I made sure that I was honouring the contracts the schools had signed up to despite the “unprecedented” circumstances! Most importantly, it meant I still got paid! 

Following the school closures, I have continued this online trend with my individual pupils. I am making sure I honour what has been paid for. I then hope to extend this into the next term, to keep my income stream trickling in! 

Some of my colleagues in a similar position have taken more time to embrace this new way of working. My speed and efficiency has really benefited my financial position! 

It was great to hear stories of other music teachers doing similar things on the ChooseFI podcast recently.

There are some surprisingly positive benefits to this new enforced home working.  

Lack of Work Travel & Travel Costs! 

This is the one I am enjoying the most! Due to the peripatetic nature of my job, I was spending more hours of each day in my car than I was happy with. Since becoming pregnant I haven’t been able to do my hour-long cycles to and from work which has frustrated me.  

This enforced home working hasn’t given me back my cycles, but it has freed me from the tin box, joy! Considering my income is looking more unpredictable currently, the added advantage of reduced travel costs will really help. 

Less Stress – Theoretically! 

Having had the stress of my travel timetable erased, it now takes no time at all to go from one online lesson to next.  Not having to negotiate dawdling traffic or roadworks is bliss! Also, due to the schools closures I have less work. While financially negative, this has allowed me to relax a little more than usual.  

I can’t say I am completely there with this one. I, along with most, have been suffering Coronavirus related anxiety. However, when this new normal becomes more familiar I am sure I will relax into it.  

This situation has also given the imposed opportunity to start slowing down in preparation for Baby Way’s birth. This is something I was going to find extremely difficult due to my intense character and passion for my work. 

Post-pregnancy Opportunities 

If I can make a success of online teaching it will mean that when Baby Way finally arrives, I may be able to continue. It would enable me to return to work sooner but from the comfort of my own home. 

Working on New Creative Projects 

Like most people, I now have an extra bit of time in day to day life. I’m hoping I can use it to work on some creative business ideas I have brewing.  

Creating a corporate choir company has been a dream for some time now. Online choirs seem to have exploded on the internet over the last week. When this is all over, many companies will be looking to restore staff morale. It could be a good time to explore my idea (if budgets allow!). 

I also want to work on composing songs for children, an avenue I have just discovered for myself. So, this could turn out be an exciting and creative time in the A Way To Less household! 

Mr Way

Working From Home 

For me, the big opportunity in the current situation is in working from home. This is something I’ve wanted to try for a long time. 

My aim here is to prove to our Directors that working from home is a valid option going forward. 

When this crisis first took off in the UK, my company were incredibly slow to react. This is mainly due to the ‘us and them’ approach they have to running their business.  

They have created such a feeling of mistrust of their staff that they didn’t see working from home as a possibility. When I first questioned whether it was something they were considering, the response was simply “people can’t be trusted”.  

Thankfully, the updated Government advice gave them no choice! It has been somewhat chaotic trying to set up 90 people working from home at once. This is something they could have easily avoided with a little more planning… 

Luckily, I was one of the first to set up on the new system. I basically insisted I was leaving the office due to Miss Way being pregnant and the total lack of any protection in the building! 

I’ve been working harder than ever in an effort to keep my job. But also to prove that working from home is viable on a more permanent basis! 

I don’t think I would ever want to work from home 100%. I miss the ability to discuss things with colleagues etc. But a day or two from home could be massively beneficial to my lifestyle. Particularly with Baby Way due in early July! That time at home could be absolutely invaluable. 

Furlough? 

This brings me onto my next ‘opportunity’.  

The Government scheme for employees in as interesting one.  

Essentially, if a company were to ‘furlough’ an employee, the employee would still be paid 80% of their salary (up to £2,500 per month) for 0% of the work. This is paid by way of a Government grant to the company.  

My understanding is that this grant would be taxable. In this case, it would constitute a significant reduction in my income. I would also feel uncomfortable going on this scheme. I fear it would make me more likely to be permanently canned. 

However, the opportunity I see here is based on Baby Way’s arrival into this crazy world. 

If this scheme is still running come July, I would consider asking to be ‘furloughed’ for a month in order to take a highly paid paternity leave. My current company policy is to pay 2 weeks statutory paternity pay, which is £149 per week. Clearly, a month at £2,500 looks quite appealing in comparison! 

Whether my employer would consider this is another matter. As it would save them money in an uncertain time, it is surely worth a try! 

Seeing the Positives 

So, although the situation the world is in IS unprecedented and the anxieties around COVID19 are very real, we are managing see the positive opportunities in our new everyday reality.  

Like many other working couples with active social lives we were often like ships that pass in the night. This new normal has seen us spend a lot more quality time with each other. Be that meditating, eating our lunch in the sunshine, participating in an online HIIT class or actually finding time to relax together in the evening. 

Let us know what positive opportunities you’re seeing in this strange dystopian film we all seem to have stepped into! 

Coronavirus Series  

Part 1 – Our Coronavirus Journey 

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