EQ at home – Kirsty Sutherland

At EQ, our people are at the heart of what we do.

Although working from home means we are physically spread across our regions, our team are working hard to maintain regular communication with their clients whilst continuing to support colleagues by connecting with them daily.

We caught up with Kirsty Sutherland, Assistant Manager in our Forfar office, to find out more about her experience working from home.

How are you finding working remotely?

It’s taken a bit of time to get used to, but sticking to a routine has kept a feeling of normality for me. Most of the work I do can be carried out on screen or by phone, so it’s not hindered things too much.

What are you doing to keep in touch with the rest of the EQ team?

I’ve set up a Whatsapp group with the colleagues that I share a room with so we can all keep in touch and lighten the mood with funny videos and stories. Microsoft Teams video conferencing also makes keeping in touch with all members of the office easy.

How are you looking after your emotional well being?

I go for a big walk with my Husband and dog every morning before starting work. It helps me feel energised and motivated before sitting down in front of the computer.  I’m actually getting more steps in a day now than I would in a normal working day! Facetiming family and friends also helps.

What advice would you give to others working from home?

Try to see the positives of working from home rather than focusing on the feeling of being “stuck”. I’m using the extra time in the day when I would have been commuting to get jobs done around the house/in the garden which makes me feel like I’ve achieved more with my day.

Tell us, what are your new co-workers like?

We’re lucky enough to have a trainee Guide Dog, Zea, staying with us just now. She gets me out in the garden to play in the evenings but during the day she prefers to sleep and so she’s much lazier than my office co-workers!

Our doors may be temporarily closed, but EQ are still here to support you. You can contact us on any of our usual telephone numbers and email addresses, which you can find on the Our People page on this website.