“Today has been the longest week ever” is the saying written on my pen that I have been using all month… because it’s the truth. Last year, when all the executive orders dropped, and most of them were impacted my office, I thought that was the longest month in the world.

January 2026 decided to say, “Hold my beer…” Not only was there a million things going on at work, the country is still in shock and protesting, the potential of another government shutdown looming over everyone (and as I write this, we are indeed shutdown), and a huge winter storm decided to swoop in and drop what felt like the Great Flood turned into snow on most of the US and then plunge us into freezing temperatures so even the hardiest of snow plows were immovable against the avalanche of ice buildup.

Schools, work, and pretty much anything not emergency related, got pre-cancelled on Friday, for Monday. Fantastic – telework for me – no school for the kids, no big deal. Then it happened again on Tuesday…. Alright, not so bad, but seriously, going a little stir crazy now. Wednesday became telework optional – not going to lie, I jumped at the chance to go in the office – I was over sharing the house with two teenagers and a husband while trying we were both trying to work, and the teens were just trying to stay occupied. They still had no school, but I trudged my happy butt to work – with two pairs of pants, three pairs of socks, three shirts, winter coat, mittens, scarf and snow boots, and my husband decided to go with as well.

Don’t get me wrong – I do enjoy telework. I can cuddle with the dogs, I get to sleep in an extra hour, listen to music, wear sweatpants, make snacks, and throw in a load of laundry. With the kids home, its a little tougher as they take up all the internet, but its also nice getting to check on them, see how they are doing, and talk to them about what I am doing – when they ask, which… let’s face it, they don’t.

On the other hand, my job involves a lot of networking, talking through problems, and sidebar conversations. Teleworking and Teams doesn’t have that same feel to it, so things get missed or miscommunicated. Being able to get up from my desk and just go talk to people face to face solves a lot of problems. And when I am extremely frustrated, being able to take a walk helps me calm down, and I usually get a few other tasks completed by running into people (or get lunch as what I brought no longer sound appealing). Downside is picking out business causal clothes everyday, no background shows/ music because of share office space, and I am usually exhausted by the end of the day, and need to decompress.

The kids ended up not having school at all the entire week due to the freezing temperatures – the ice never had a chance to melt, so the roads are still barely passable. I ended up in the office only two days, as on Friday, I was exhausted and very sick, so third telework day. But that’s another advantage of telework – recuperating at home, and being able to focus on work – without the phone ringing, or people coming in to talk to you all the time.

There are advantages to telework and in office work – with the right person and team, you can have both, and apply the advantages to be utilized the most effectively. Understanding team dynamics, communication styles, and individual personalities is key to effective telework arrangements. Which way do you prefer to work – at home or in an office?