Waller’s New Assistant Contracts Manager
Hi, I’m Sam Waller. I am Waller Associates’ new assistant contracts manager. I joined the company in the Autumn of 2019. As you can probably tell from the name, I am joining my dad and uncle into the family business that my grandparents co-founded many years ago. I feel a sense of pride in carrying on the family name whilst also bringing my own younger ideas and veiws to the table.
Joining the Team
This is the first blog I that have written for Wallers. It is slightly different than what I expected to be writing about. As I started working for the company, I found that I settled in very quickly. This was mainly because of how welcoming and friendly the whole workforce were towards me. Instantly, I felt like I was part of the team and everyone was happy to teach the Waller way. I noticed that two important factors were the general etiquette that the company promotes and the also high standards within office and site procedures.
New Skills
I have learnt new skills such as using the designing software on the computer. I have also adapted and added simple skills such as writing emails and speaking on the phone in a business manor. Unfortunately, as I was growing in confidence and getting a feel for what working life was about, life was to change for everyone at the end of March in a way that nobody expected.
Coronavirus
Due to the coronavirus outbreak my learning had to come to a halt as the country was thrown into lockdown. My uncle reacted quickly to the news that was changing on what seemed like an hourly basis. He ensured that staff were placed onto the government’s furlough scheme which protected our staff and the company. This was essential, because of lockdown we couldn’t work which meant that no money was coming into the business.
What I did in Lockdown
With so many weeks off I tried to keep myself busy. I’m quite an active person so the thought of not being able to do much was a bit worrying. Luckily for me the weather was lovely and hot so I was still able to work outside in the garden. I started to do maintenance work such as removing trees, cutting grass and general clearing which kept me very busy. I had also started running at the beginning of the year so the time I was furloughed allowed me to focus on that. Running regularly inspired me to apply for the Brighton Marathon with a few others from the office. This takes place in April next year and I got in! Like Rees has mentioned in his recent blog I am looking forward to getting back on the golf course, obviously social distancing in place.
Back to Work
Company staff were phased back to work to make sure that the office set up was safe. I was one of the last to return and it’s good to be back. At first it felt strange but now it feels like I’ve never been away. Although we are back, things are very different. Safety is the main concern and the offices have changed. Steve has ensured that nobody is working within two metres of each other unless there is a protective Perspex screen separating them. There are bottles of sanitiser on every desk with signs up everywhere to remind staff to keep their distance from each other and wash their hands. Hopefully things will improve and the coronavirus will dissapear meaning that we can concentrate on growing the business and get back to a normal life.
Sam
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