spk_1: 0:00
(Informal chatter) You can 'Zoom' in your pyjamas. I have. Pyjama bottoms stay on. You can always wear a nice shirt.
spk_0: 0:09
(OPENING STING) This is the Orange podcast, a series dedicated to conversations with Orange City Council, for the residents of Orange, New South Wales. This episode has been produced specifically for council employees.
spk_1: 0:24
Well Dave, thanks so much for joining us on the first of these Orange City Council podcasts, while we're going through this COVID-19 crisis. Of course, it's affecting every organisation around the world, probably. And of course, it's affecting Orange City Council and the ratepayers and citizens of Orange as well. What do you feel has changed most in your work routine as you continue to deliver these essential services?
spk_0: 0:46
It's funny, isn't it, Kyle? It's a month since this started. That's all . It seems like so much has changed. We've got 25% of staff in the Civic Centre. Everyone else's rolling and working from home. The outdoor guys are doing a great job. It's a bit easier for them because they can work outdoors, obviously, but the changes in just walking through that ghostly Civic Centre it's just astounding. Having said that, the I.T. guys have gone from zero to hero. The work they've done to get the workforce home has been outstanding. So everyone at home, thank those I.T. guys because hopefully you're all working and you're working productively. And we can do this thing.
spk_1: 1:30
Absolutely. I mean, so much has changed in the way we've all got to deliver our businesses, whether we be a big organisation like council or a little one like ours. Are you getting any feedback from people working from home about the state of their mental health about how they're coping with the changes? And would you like more of that feedback?
spk_0: 1:46
Look, I'd very much like more of the the feedback. I'm hearing that there are little little points of stress and we had a lot of stress when it first came out, which settled down a bit. It's totally understandable stuff. I am hearing that there are some pockets of people who are kind of stressed and doing it pretty tough. So can you get in touch with us, if you if you are finding it too hard, we can find a place back in the civic centre for you. But mental health: with winter coming in orange, it's a classic problem.
spk_0: 2:15
Look, I'd very much like more of the the feedback. I'm hearing that there are little little points of stress and we had a lot of stress when it first came out, which settled down a bit. It's totally understandable stuff. I am hearing that there are some pockets of people who are kind of stressed and doing it pretty tough. So can you get in touch with us, if you if you are finding it too hard, we can find a place back in the civic centre for you But mental health: with winter coming in orange, it's a classic problem.
spk_1: 2:16
It's a bit of a double whammy, this whole pandemic because it's coming for us in Australia in the middle of a time when those depression and anxiety things spike anyway because of our nasty climate, and the fact we're indoors more.
spk_1: 0:00
We're about to go into the normal flu season
spk_1: 0:00
Maybe it will be easier this year with not so many people out and about?
spk_1: 0:00
But, I mean, how lucky are we to live in orange and not live in Sydney? And imagine living in a two bedroom flat. You know, here we've got beautiful parks and gardens and usually pretty nice weather. You can light a bonfire. You know, it's just gold being here for this sort of thing.
spk_1: 0:00
And while we're on that subject, I'm sure you've noticed, as I have, that one of the upsides of this lock down is that council spaces are being used, probably more than ever. Those outdoor spaces, obviously not the swimming pool or the gallery, but there's outdoor spaces in our footpaths and our beautiful parks. I haven't seen so many families and people doing fitness in twos in my life.
spk_1: 0:00
It's great. My family, we go for a nightly walk. It's astounding. We haven't done that in about 10 years. We take the dog. We go for a walk and it's really nice. Get on the bike. It is amazing, the number of people you see walking at the moment, isn't it? And you know, we're pretty lucky. We've got all these parks and gardens and those guys do a great job, too. They look, they look tickety boo most of the time.
spk_1: 0:00
They always do and they are at the moment. So we've got plenty of people working from home that are able to do their job, probably to a large degree, as it was when they were in the council chambers. But what about those agencies like the swimming pool, the gallery, the library, the theatre? You know, what are they doing while their doors are literally closed?
spk_1: 0:00
Yeah, it's difficult for some some of our crews. I mean, the gallery and the library are doing great things. They're doing online book reading. They're doing online stuff. The gallery had a wonderful exhibition, which was school kids painting leaves to do with the old Mt Canobolas fires. That's all online. I think of it this way. If a facility's closed, let's do all those things, we wish we had time to do normally. Let's clean the joint. Let's do all the filing. Let's make everything look absolutely snappy by the time we get out of this into spring. Plenty to do. If you've got nothing to do, give me a call. We'll find something. I reckon we could drop tools and file for the next two years just to get up to date.
spk_1: 0:00
File. Clean. Paint. Pull that cupboard out and dust behind it. All that stuff, but probably also refining procedures as well. When we're up and running again, we're ready to rock?
spk_1: 0:00
Yes, it's interesting. We're seeing procedures change already. The one that cracks me up is, you know is : 'A planner has to go to the front counter, interrupt his or her day talk to someone who wanted to lodge a DA, go through all the paperwork. Take the money'. We don't do that anymore. Lynn at the front counter invented a box. Put your DA here, so it's that sort of thing. Maybe we'll never go back to that. Just 'Drop it in the box'.
spk_1: 0:00
And look, to wrap it up. Dave, what would be your main message as the captain of the ship for all these employees out there, it's a tricky time. It's a tough time. What's your main message to them?
spk_1: 0:00
It's difficult working from home. I get that. I think the main thing would be to remember what your job is, and if you need to get your job description out. Once a month, I get my job description out, and I read it to remind myself what I'm meant to be doing and refocus. Talk to your supervisor. Talk to your manager. But just remember: 'What is your job?' That's the key point.
spk_1: 0:00
That's a great way to look at it. We should all do that, all the time.
spk_1: 0:00
Don't invent someone else's job. Do your job and we will get through this.
spk_1: 0:00
And obviously, stay healthy?
spk_1: 0:00
And stay healthy is a good one. Yeah, absolutely. I'm going cycling this afternoon, you know, Me in Lycra. If you're lucky the boys might film this one.
spk_1: 0:00
Look on that note, ... while we haven't got a a visual. I think we're all grateful for that. Let's wrap this one up. Thanks for joining us one the Little Podcast Dave and for getting this message out to all employees.
spk_1: 0:00
Thanks for having me Kyle.
: 6:14