The Lockdown Log | Interview with Lisa – Senior Accountant

Last updated on 12 May 2020

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Welcome to The Lockdown Log!

In this new series, The Lockdown Log, I’m going to be interviewing some of my friends from New Zealand, to hear a little about what their experience was like during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) Lockdown that our country went through in April (and continues, in some degree until we’re told otherwise). For some of my friends, life has radically changed, for others, it’s only a little different. But whatever has happened in the last few months, whatever their situation has been or will continue to be, they have a story, and one that I believe is worth sharing, if not for now, then for the future.

In this installment of The Lockdown Log, I chat to my friend Lisa who is a Senior Accountant in Auckland.

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Hey Lisa! Thanks for agreeing to answer some questions for me today! As a senior accountant in Auckland’s CBD, a usual, outside of lockdown week for you involves commuting by train into the city for an 8am start, right? With New Zealand in lockdown and at level 3, we were told to work from home if we weren’t an essential service. ‘Usual’ for you suddenly changed; what have your weeks looked like in levels 4 and 3? 

Hello! Yes, normally I’m in at work by 8am. Cutting out commuting time has definitely changed my mornings. A lockdown day looks: wake up about 7am, and head out on a walk around the block.  I grab breakfast when I get back and start work from home at around 8am. I tend to have multiple cups of tea during the day, and usually throw together either a toastie cheese sandwich or fried eggs for lunch.

Love me some eggs! It’s been a lunch option for me too. Working from home often means hours are slightly different. Have you found your usual work hours have translated into work-from-home hours, or not really?

Only a little bit. Depending how productive I have been in the morning will change how long I take off for lunch (standard break is 30 mins, if I have a lot of work to do I only take 15). I’ve been finishing work between 4:30pm and 5pm usually.

In terms of working from home, how do you find it? Has it been an easy transition?

My work was in a lucky position; we have been moving everything to paperless over the last 18 months, with very little printing over the last 8 months. The transition to work from home was literally just a change in location.

That’s good to hear! It would definitely be easier being mostly paperless!

Yeah, a lot of other accounting and law practices have really struggled in this regard as their work papers and client information are still on paper.

Were you able to replicate some sort of desk set up at your house?

The Friday before level 4 lockdown was announced my work got us to all bring our personal laptops into the office so remote desktops could be set up (in case lockdown was announced overnight and we then wouldn’t have to come into the office to get the work computers). That Monday lockdown was announced, and we all got a text saying we’d be working from home. One of the partners at my firm dropped off a second monitor (and my calculator) for me. The second monitor made a huge difference, and I also bought an external mouse. My workspace is the dining table, though, so I put the second screen on the floor during the weekend so we have our dining table back.

Even though you were able to set up a work area, it must have been pretty different to working in an office … 

The only difference really is being alone most of the day. We have been chatting to colleagues and working through issues via screen sharing on video calls. Our weekly staff meetings are over Zoom. I would prefer to be in the office working, but there are definitely some advantages being at home (i.e. doing washing in the middle of the day, working in sweatpants and hoodies, sleeping in, not having to commute…).

Yes, I’m so glad I don’t usually have to commute anywhere! Your afternoons have become a little freer, without the need to commute into the city. Have you been doing anything after work? 

I have been playing Catan online in the afternoons with you, and also sometimes my family video call me in the afternoons. In the evenings I’ve been watching a TV show or movie either by myself or with my flatmates.

The weekends have been a bit different. I do a workout instead of going for a walk, I go to the supermarket, clean the house, and sometimes I bake. Mostly I do a craft activity, cross-stitch or knitting.

Both your cross-stitch and your knitting projects are really coming along! I’ve enjoyed seeing your updates on both of those. Might need to pick up the aida cloth and embroidery thread again myself.

Do you have any tips for people still working from home?

Definitely keep to a routine, even if this is just working your normal hours.

It definitely helps eh? What have you found difficult, if anything, about levels 3 and 4?

I am an introvert and even I have found not being able to hang out with people a struggle (I honestly don’t know how the extroverts are coping). I would also really like to just go somewhere, and not be only at home.

You know it’s rough when even introverts are struggling! Has there been anything you’ve been grateful for though, during this time?

The internet. Being able to keep in touch with people, particularly family (as my sister had a baby the first weekend in lockdown).

And, other than seeing your niece over video chat, is there anything you’ve actually really enjoyed about being at home?

Yes! Playing games online with friends (Catan, Jackbox games, Drawasaurus, Kahoot etc) has been really fun.

It’s been really fun, hasn’t it, playing those online games together. Do you have any tips for surviving isolation?

Try and stay positive.

And last, but certainly not least, in fact possibly the most asked question about Lockdown … did you do anything drastic to your hair?

Other than only washing it like once a week… (ew…).

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Haha! Yes I think a lot of people have been pushing out their hair washing days. I know I have!

Thanks so much, Lisa, for chatting with me about your experiences in levels 3 and 4 lockdown here in New Zealand.

Stay tuned for another edition of The Lockdown Log coming soon!

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To learn more about New Zealand’s alert level system, check out the COVID-19 website.

Images from Unsplash.