Malachi Currie - Voice of the Pandemic
Updated: Apr 19, 2022
We talk to Malachi - project manager at Airey Miller about his experience in his job during the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown.
How did the pandemic affect you in your job?
The pandemic came very quickly after the start of the year. It meant I was placed on furlough meaning all the work I had been doing on my projects came to a halt; and as part of the rules of furlough I wasn’t allowed to be involved in my projects. All the structure I was used to had now changed and it meant I had to find something to do with the time I had, such as complete in the first year of my master’s degree.
What did being furloughed mean for you?
I was placed on furlough for 3 months which gave me a good amount of time to focus on my degree and complete the first year successfully. However, this was difficult as I could feel myself losing touch with some of my projects.
What was it like coming out of furlough?
Coming back from furlough was different, as I had to become used to a new ‘digital world’ where all my usual face to face meetings were via Teams/Zoom. Also, our London Office was closed due to restrictions, meaning I was on rota in our Sevenoaks office, working there
2 days a week. Also, some sites were closed meaning works were stopped. However, on one of my bigger projects, numbers were reduced but works continued. In that sense it was something which I knew I would have to adapt to.
"All the structure I was used to had now changed.... "
How are you feeling about things now?
Coming back to work, I definitely felt supported as it took a little bit of time to gain an understanding of what positions the projects I was working on were at. It was a busy return especially with one of my projects ‘The Madison’ handing over in October. It was challenging, however, I felt that I was given the time and the guidance to acclimatise to the changes within the industry which showed in the Madison Handing over successfully.