Work-Life Balance Feature: Jessica Beatty (UG Admissions)

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 08:49:51 -0400
wlb, workarrangements, worklifebalance

PSS is excited to present its new feature series on work-life balance in action! Stay tuned for a few features each month showcasing UMBC professional staff employees who are using HR-supported practices to ensure they have balance!

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Meet Jessica Beatty: Operations Coordinator (UG Admissions and Orientation)

Type of Work Arrangement: Telework

Length of Arrangement: Summer 2016-Present

As an employee who works from home, one day a week is what fits into Admissions schedule as well as my own. When we discussed working from home, my supervisor and I went over how many and which day of the week would be the best. For example, with my job duties, it would be hard to be out on a Tuesday since that is the day I get all of my letters out in the mail. We decided that Thursday would be the best day. However, if something comes up that I need to be in the office for I may pick another day with more availability.

When I telework my biggest focus is usually Residency. Residency tasks take a lot of concentration and review and so I find it helpful to do this at home. I also like to work on PMP's or other employee related items when I am home since there is more privacy. For the most part, I have more than enough residency tasks to keep me busy at home. However, if a letter needs to be printed or taken care of I also have the ability to send a print job to work from home which allows me to make my day really productive.

Why is this arrangement beneficial to your work life balance?

My teleworking days are beneficial to my work life balance because it cuts out any commute time. Right off the bat, I save an hour of my day, which means I can start dinner earlier and start my evening with my family just a little bit earlier. It also allows me to get things started or done on my lunch break. Being home without any distractions and minimal disruptions I am able to get caught up on things that require my undivided attention. I truly believe this makes me a better employee in office employee as well since other tasks are complete for the week. I find my work from home days to be less stressful and quiet.

How is your supervisor supportive?

I probably have the most supportive boss on campus when it comes to teleworking. Kristin Albright-Waters has done her entire dissertation on teleworking. She is always supportive of my telework day and we even will host our 1:1 time over gchat and video if it’s the only time that we have.

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