Working from home advice: don't act normal for a while!

At the end of February, almost all Covid measures will expire in the Netherlands. The Netherlands can finally go out again: to work, to the pub, to the theater and on holiday. Of course that is wonderful and pleasant for everyone. But are we – just like at the beginning of 2020 – pretending that everything is back to normal? Paul Veelenturf – Brainport Bereikbaar program manager – is more than clear: Don't act normal!

And will we again get into the car en masse to drive to work in rush hour traffic jams? My advice: don't go back to the old normal. Various surveys and studies have already shown that commuters - where possible - are willing and able to work from home on an average of 2-3 days on a regular basis. This not only saves time, but also reduces traffic jams and improves work performance. Measurements also show that with less travel, air quality demonstrably improves and CO2 emissions from traffic decrease. In addition, there is the advice to work hard on our physical and mental health after Covid. And that certainly also applies to our new travel behavior.

So I'm going to work structurally from home three days a week in my cozy and well-furnished workplace in the attic. On Monday I will go to Eindhoven - after rush hour - to work with colleagues from Brainport Bereikbaar on the implementation of the program. And on Wednesday or Friday I will be working in the region with project leaders, steering group members and stakeholders. We then work together on our mobility transition; more at home/more avoidance, more spreading and more sustainable driving. When I travel, I leave after 9:30 am, ride my e-bike to the station, travel briefly by public transport and walk the last part. So don't act normal. Smarter and healthier!

Paul Veelenturf
Program manager Brainport Bereikbaar