
BLOG
Welcome to the EWF Blog!
We wanted to create a social space to share our thoughts, resources, articles and conversation that we think would be helpful to our EWF community.
​
Our first post is a feature in a series we are excited to share with you! The EWF Steering Committee and Subcommittee members have been working from home over the last several months in what very quickly became a new normal for many. We know this experience has been varied over our team, and can only imagine the stories and experiences that all of you have had navigating this historic time. Each week we will be posting a new story of the experience our team members have had and their reflections. We think it is important to share these stories and give our community shared understanding on what we are all experiencing.
​
To kick off, we would like to share Co-Chair and Co-Founder Sandra Lau’s experience throughout isolation, as well as her Work From Home (WFH) set up.
​
We would also love to hear from you! Send us an email at contact@ewifalberta.org and share your WFH experience and set up and we can share it on our blog!
​
Finally, EWF is working on virtual events that will be taking place in the next couple months. Stay tuned and look out for more information on our LinkedIn page and our website.
​
Update From Sandra Lau: June 12, 2020
​
I sincerely hope that you and your family are staying safe and healthy.
Given today’s exceptional circumstances, the committee members of Edmonton Women in Finance (EWF) have decided to challenge ourselves, and to share our working from home experience.
I would like to take this opportunity to share with you my journey thus far.
I must admit, I had minor anxiety as I learned about working from home at the beginning:
​
-
How will the market function? How do I stay on top of the market?
-
How do I stay in touch with my colleagues and my contacts?
-
Are two monitors, a Surface, an iPad, and two phones sufficient and will all this technology still allow me to do my job right?
-
What exactly is Microsoft Teams – how does this work again?
-
How will my fragile desk at home hold up to all the equipment that I have piled onto it?
-
Or in general, how do I make sure everything is “business as usual”?
​
After two months of working from home, I have realized that it is anything but “business as usual”, and it will not be. However, it is fine. I have realized that this working from home experience reminds me of the following:
​
-
All the issues that I have worried about are relatively insignificant. Please let me explain. What we are going through now is an unprecedented situation. It is an extreme challenging moment for our world and economy. It reminds me to put things into perspective.
-
Social distancing is not social isolation. In this difficult time, it is important to support each other. Do not underestimate how a friendly and sincere check-in can make a big difference in someone’s day. Reach out and stay connected. Give help to those who are in need.
-
Work from home can be exhausting. Each day seems to run into the next day. I recently learned a term called “Zoom fatigue”. It is important to know when to stop working, take a break, or even take a holiday. Take good care of yourself, both physically and mentally.
-
It is an extremely difficult moment. However, I firmly believe that this storm will past. Stay positive.
​
I hope I will see you soon in our next EWF virtual event. We are also looking for mentors to help us building our mentorship programs, both for post-secondary students and for women in the Finance industry. Join us or spread the word for us.
I am looking forward to hearing about your working from home experience!
Sandra
Co-founder/Co-chair, Edmonton Women in Finance
