Positive Tales, Pandemic Adventures: Next Stop, The Barking Crab!

Community, Company Culture Posted Jun 25, 2021 by Samantha Sheehy

By now, you’ve heard the same things a million times. Emails with the line “unprecedented times,” opinions about the “new normal,” and predictions that our pets will have social anxiety when we start to leave the house again. If you transitioned to working from home in the past year and a half, you are also well-accustomed to video call phrases like “You’re on mute,” “Can you see my screen?” and “Sorry about the kids screaming.”

While CHEN PR was not exempt, we certainly have not let the circumstances get us down. As the world begins to open back up this summer, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the past several months and how CHEN PR has not only survived the pandemic, but thrived.

In mid-March 2020, CHENers packed up their laptops and prepared for a week or two of working from home. Weeks soon turned into months, and the new reality set in – the remote work format wasn’t going away anytime soon. Even though Zoom became the new conference room, CHEN PR wanted to make sure that we continued to live out our company culture from afar. Friday afternoon company socials have been a great way to unwind after a long week and enjoy a few laughs with everyone from the CHEN PR crew present.

Taking social distancing into consideration, CHEN PR still found ways to meet in person, even though it was different from old times. Instead of a busy downtown restaurant or trendy bar, a new company favorite has been Castle Island in South Boston. With Sullivan’s only a few footsteps away, it made for the perfect outdoor walking location with a great view and lots of tasty fried clams.

Even though working from home has its perks, it can sometimes become lonely. We kept each other’s spirits high, catching up with former employees and friends online, sharing pictures of the city, and always taking time to check in on one another. By now, CHENers have each other’s numbers on speed dial and we know that assistance is just a Slack message away.

Since Boston has started to return to normal, we ventured beyond Castle Island and recently visited Trillium’s Garden on the Greenway. The beautiful weather, great company, and delicious beer was just what the doctor ordered. While we will most likely never go back into the office five days a week, CHENers are excited to get back to the hustle and bustle of the city, and an office that feels like home.

We can’t wait for our next company outing in July and are always looking to try new places. The Barking Crab, anyone?