During the coronavirus crisis, there are plenty of smart professionals at VUB. But working at VUB is now mainly working for VUB but from home. What’s the reality of the switch from workplace to homeworking? How do we deal with the blurring of boundaries between work and life?

Recognise these situations? We asked our VUB colleagues how they are getting on with the new reality of homeworking. With an eye on best practice, they shared their surprising tips and tricks. Click here to find all their stories.

Steph Feremans

Steph lives in Jette and has worked at VUB for almost 29 years. For the past few months he has worked 4/5; for M&O he is liaison officer for the Vriendenkring Personeel (half-time) and within the Vice-Rectorate for Education and Student Affairs, he works 30% on managing student operations. In his daily life, he is the co-parenting father of two teenagers; one week he lives alone, the next week he shares his home with 18-year-old Felix and 16-year-old Felha. He also has a daughter aged 28 who lives in Schaarbeek and is expecting her first child. His homeworking base? The kitchen, where his passion lies.

Every upside has its downside

Steph: “I don’t immediately find this strange situation to be a problem. In exchange for the time we would otherwise spend commuting, we now have extra free time to do fun things. What’s more, straight after the lockdown I was reassured by the clear federal guidelines for both singles and co-parenting.

Singles?

Minister for Home Affairs Pieter De Crem stated on 17 March: “All gatherings outside the family are banned. Apart from the exception made by the prime minister: if you live alone, you can meet up with another person.” For Steph, the first week in lockdown without his children was very quiet, but that soon changed. Steph: “I live in a friendly street. My neighbour made us soup every lunchtime and even brought cake to have with coffee. When the weather was good we played table tennis. There are also seven of us on the neighbourhood committee. During the coronavirus crisis, there has been more traffic than usual in our WhatsApp group – asking ‘is everything ok?’”

Continue the story below the picture.

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Children’s menu

A difficult issue remained: co-parenting. But for Steph, that too has so far been without problems. “On Sunday, the children finally came home. That always livens things up. The previous week they had been at their mother’s and when they’re there, they eat vegetarian food. Cooking is one of my hobbies, and so for the next few days they were allowed to choose what meat they wanted to eat, cooked by ‘chef Steph’. Yesterday Felix chose pensen with apple sauce, today Felha wants stuffed peppers. Homeworking with the children is going smoothly. While in the first week, Smartschool bombarded my mailbox – Felix is in French-language education, Felha Dutch, and that creates plenty of differences – everything now seems to be falling into place. Oef. For a bit of quality time we are watching De Mol together – something I would never normally do.”

Steph as a future grandfather, Steph as a son

“Just before the lockdown, I saw my oldest daughter and she was well. The ultrasound she would normally have had this week has been postponed. But we are calm about it: until now her pregnancy has been straightforward and the last months are usually easier anyway. I am more worried about my mother, who turns 88 this week. We have been talking much more on the phone. But she is fine and, luckily, her brother and two sisters live nearby.”

In exchange for the time we would otherwise spend commuting, we now have extra free time to do fun things.

Steph’s tips

  • Keep in touch. It’s possible, with a bit of creativity

    “Normally every fortnight I meet a group of friends at the cafe. Because that’s no longer allowed, yesterday three of us hung out together virtually. To begin with it feels strange, but after 10 minutes you get used to it and forget the virtual aspect. And there was no shortage of Dobbel Palm at Delhaize!”
  • Inspire each other and keep things fun

    “Before, I would always share my culinary successes on Facebook. Because our world has been turned upside down, I’ve also turned that on its head: now I’m using my recipes as challenges for my friends. Last week I challenged them all to make soup. But now my freezer is full of soup. So I’ve moved on to starters.”
  • Get your children to move, and remember to move yourself

    “Every day I walk for an hour in the parks in Brussels. You always meet someone you can chat to from a distance. During my lunch break, if the weather allows it, I play table tennis with my neighbour. That keeps me fit and then after lunch I feel refreshed and ready to work.”

Steph’s reflections

  • “That we’ve learned from this situation that globalisation can be something dangerous.”
  • “That I, because I’d already moved to a 4/5 work regime, had less difficulty switching to homeworking than others.”
  • “I hope that everything will soon return to normal, because working digitally is a bit slower than usual.”

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JOIN IN the VUB research. The research group TOR at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the research bureau hbits are investigating the social consequences of the coronavirus crisis. We’re working in a different way, schools and most shops are closed and public life has ground to a halt. What are the consequences of this for your daily life? Take part in the research and tell us how your daily life has changed via www.dagelijksleven.eu

Read also the article of professor Ignace Glorieux: Life in a time with no fixed times.

 

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