COVID-19 Survey for Workers
The interview below isn't necessarily typical of all tech workers, but taking the COVID-19 Survey for Workers can help researchers understand what is. If you’ve been working during this pandemic, are unemployed or are now doing your job remotely or part time, please consider participating in our research project by following one of these links:
- In English: https://is.gd/COVID19WorkerSurvey
- En español: https://is.gd/COVIDWORKERESP
This study aims to better understand the health impacts of COVID-19 and is funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Darienne Hosley-Stewart
UX Writer at Google
What exactly does a UX writer do?
A UX writer is responsible for the words you see and hear when you use a digital product: items in a menu, error messages, privacy notices, instructions to complete a task, the answers you hear from Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. We spend a lot of time trying to better understand what people who use our products want and need, and thinking about how best to help them.
Before the pandemic, what was a typical workday like for you? Looking back, what do you miss most?
I went into the office early, partly to beat traffic and partly to enjoy the quiet. I’d pick up breakfast in the cafeteria, get in a bit of work before morning meetings got rolling. Between meetings and solo work, we did a lot of impromptu collaboration over coffee or snacks, or gathered around someone’s monitor or camped out in a hangout space. They were fun spaces to move around in, and I appreciated having so many different settings to help me focus or re-energize. I usually left by midafternoon to pick up my teen at school, and did an hour or two of work at home afterward to wrap up my day.
I miss serendipity: the unexpected encounters that taught me something new, inspired connections, and made work a daily adventure. It’s harder to reach beyond my core work team and find fresh sparks in a WFH (work from home) world.
What’s the campus like right now? Is anyone going in or is it totally empty? Do you think it’ll be the same when you return?
I haven’t been back since March 9, just a day or two before WFH took full effect. I had the foresight to bring my plants home, but I wish I’d grabbed my calendar and favorite pens. Only people who need to work on-site are allowed in the buildings.
I’m not sure what to expect when we return. I haven’t decided if I want to be in the office if it requires staying in our separate little pods, wearing masks, and minding our distance. I miss seeing faces.
How’s working-at-home working out?
I’m lucky: It’s going fairly well. My teens are old enough to be responsible (mostly) for their school work and to help keep the show running. Our home is just big enough that everyone has their own corner for work and school. My work family is rolling with it as best we can too. Spending hours on video calls is surprisingly draining, but we sprinkle in a lot of collaborative work sessions and social gatherings.
In one word: What’s it like to have the whole family at your “office” 24/7?
Distracting.
What’s been hardest trying to adapt to your work-at-home situation?
Sticking to boundaries. What used to be commute time has turned into meeting time. And when the world makes no sense and the future is uncertain, work provides a means to solve problems and have some control. That’s very tempting when I’m feeling a little low.
What tips do you have to make it easier?
I don’t do any of this consistently, but it works well when I do:
Pace yourself. I use a very simple bullet journal with the week’s priorities and a limited daily to-do list. It helps me focus.
Google and similar companies have wealth and resources that allow them to reach further, to take risks, to be generous. And I think most people who work there are well aware of that and try to pay it forward. I’d be over the moon if corporate America truly embraced the idea that a healthy, happy, and engaged workforce is good for business.
Claim your time. I have a 30- to 60-minute slot every day that is sacred, do-not-disturb time: a hike in the hills, a music lesson, a workout. I also defend white space – blocking out time to allow for focused work or checking in with my family.
Plan meals, including lunch. Try to get anyone you live with to contribute to planning and preparing food for the household. Some days lunch might be popcorn. That’s fine.
Say no. “Global pandemic” is valid justification for a great many things. Even the simplest household tasks require more physical effort and take a mental toll. Acknowledge it.
Give yourself permission to end your workday. By late afternoon, I check in with myself: What else do I really need to do to disconnect until tomorrow? Sometimes I have to mentally high-five myself: “Hey, you’ve done good work today. It’s OK to stop. Go for a walk.”
How do you separate work and home life? Are you intentional or do you just wing it?
I took over a small room at one corner of the house, and I try to make that a mostly-work room. The physical separation helps the mental separation. If I work after hours, I try to be very intentional and goal-focused so I don’t get drawn into things that don’t need to be done urgently. I try not to bring my laptop out of that room.
Google is famous for its perks. What are some of the things the company is doing for employees to help them navigate the pandemic that you think are particularly innovative or helpful?
Providing carer’s leave and flex time options, offering a generous budget to set up our home offices, providing extensive mental health services, and coming up with so many creative ways to help us enjoy perks from home. I’ve been able to take advantage of more classes and workshops virtually than I ever would have in the office. I’ve learned drag queen makeup tips, been in deep conversations on systemic racism and working for social justice, and tried acrylic pour techniques. I’m blown away by all the creative work to tweak our internal tools for a WFH world.
Is there anything you wish Google would do that it’s not?
Honestly, no. There’s always room for improvement, of course, but I can’t quibble much with how Google is responding to a situation that was hard to imagine a year ago.
Do you think it’s unrealistic for employees at other companies to expect similar support that Google employees get? If so, how could we fix that?
Unfortunately, yes – right now. Part of that is privilege: Google and similar companies have wealth and resources that allow them to reach further, to take risks, to be generous. And I think most people who work there are well aware of that and try to pay it forward. I’d be over the moon if corporate America truly embraced the idea that a healthy, happy, and engaged workforce is good for business.
What’s the first thing you’ll do when you go back to your office?
Besides cry? A lot of hugging and listening.
A lot of people think someone in your position has it made, but work is work. Are there any misconceptions about your job people seem to have?
That Googlers are pampered and self-centered, and spend more time playing than working. I’ve never worked with more generous people. So much time, talent, and thoughtfulness go into the tiniest projects. It makes our very public missteps that much harder to witness.
The tech industry has had some layoffs during the pandemic, but nothing like hotels, restaurants, aviation and other industries that are being completely decimated. How do you feel about that? How could the privileges companies like Google and workers like you have help others?
Personally, I feel grateful and guilty and lucky. I also feel responsibility to help support people who are struggling through this. Personally, we’re acutely aware of the many, many people who help our household run smoothly and we’re doing everything we can to help them stay afloat. Just as Google is paying service workers who can’t come in to offices, we’re continuing to pay helpers who need to stay home. We’re increasing tips. We’re seeking out local businesses.
In terms of corporate responsibility, I’ve been happy to see Google’s efforts to adapt its products and services to help people through the incredible events of this year. Maps and Search keep rolling out new features to help small businesses and Black-owned businesses, Grow with Google has adapted to virtual training, and the company and individual Googlers continue to invest generously in our communities.
What concerns you most about the future?
The scars this will leave, and whether collectively we’ll be able to heal, learn, and take care of each other when the worst is over. Whether we’ll make good use of this opportunity to reimagine better ways to move forward together with our humanity intact – or even strengthened.
Has anything positive come from the pandemic?
More authentic connections. This shared vulnerability has created space for breathtaking moments. When we ask, “How are you?” we now listen more carefully to the answer. I feel disconnected from so many people who used to be part of the daily fabric of my life. But so many relationships have grown deeper in surprising and important ways. That helps me keep going.
Jennifer Biddle conducted this interview in November 2020. Biddle is a science writer and video producer working in digital media. Her film Waking Up to Wildfires recently was nominated for an Emmy.