As Two-Thirds of Americans Work From Home, Pluses and Minuses Emerge

A new survey reveals that 66% of American employees are now doing their jobs from home at least part of the workweek due to the coronavirus pandemic. The finding is further proof of how the outbreak has totally changed our lifestyles in many ways.

Some 365 workers nationally were surveyed by the ratings and review firm Clutch to get a sense of their working-from-home habits and what they like and dislike about the remote work. The bottom line is more people than ever before are working from home, prompting companies to make new adjustments.

Among the top findings were 44% of Americans are now working from home five or more days a week, up from 17% before the pandemic. Not having a commute (47%), a more flexible schedule (43%), and not having to dress up (33%) are the three biggest perks.

However, difficulty collaborating with co-workers (33%), frequent interruptions (27%), and problems sticking to a routine (26%) are the three biggest challenges of remote work. Also of note, 22% of respondents say find it difficult to stop working at the end of the day.

Overall, about 39% prefer working in an office, versus 40% working remotely.

Kristen Herhold, a content writer and marketer at Clutch, says what her surprised her the most about the survey was that just 10% of respondents say they struggle with a poor Wi-Fi connection working from home. “I thought it would be much higher,” she explained, “especially since office Wi-Fi tends to be much stronger than home Wi-Fi.”

Another interesting finding is the obstacles working from home creates when it comes to interacting with co-workers. At the office people can visit colleagues at their desk and get answers quickly. Now, workers must wait until colleagues open their email or see their message.

Herhold’s advice to people who say it’s difficult to collaborate with co-workers while working remotely is to take advantage of the many collaboration tools available, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Google Hangouts, and Slack.

“These help employees communicate more seamlessly and get some face-to-face interaction in real-time, rather than waiting for a response to an email or phone call,” she says.

Another dynamic American workers may have to accept is working from home perhaps will continue for a while. Experts predict that social distancing will last many more weeks or even months.

Clutch suggests that businesses talk with their employees about their successes and struggles with remote working to help make their daily work as productive as possible.

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Credit Specialist Kareem McMurrin Gives COVID-19 Financial Tips

A great credit score is not always easy to come by. Student loans, credit card bills, missed payments, and now COVID-19, can all affect one’s credit score. During these uncertain times, many have faced unexpected financial burdens that will have long-term effects.

Kareem McMurrin, owner of Bar Financials, has more than seven years of experience helping individuals plan financially for their futures. Featured on outlets such as Fox Soul, McMurrin has identified sound practices that can help people plan, build, or re-build financially even through volatile circumstances.

BlackEnterprise.com talked to McMurrin about how to protect credit, recession-proof credit scores, and what not do financially during a pandemic.

What should Americans who received a stimulus payment know about the payment? 

According to reports in December 2019, 69% of Americans have less than $1,000 in case of any emergency. From the very beginning of this COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve most importantly been made aware of what it actually takes to even prepare for or survive through such [an event]. Using your stimulus check to start an emergency fund would be a great idea that would help relieve stress and help prepare for uncertainties.

How can people protect their credit during the COVID-19 Pandemic?

The single biggest thing anyone can do is pay all your bills on time if possible. Do your best to make your payments on time, even if you’re only meeting your creditors’ minimum requirements.

During times of crisis, you will see an increase in fraudulent activity. Monitor your debit and credit card usage by setting transaction alerts and view your statements. Be aware of spam emails acting as known companies baiting you to click on links. Do not provide anyone your credit card information or Social Security card information over the phone unless it is a trusted source that you know.

Is there a way to recession-proof your credit score?

Contact your lenders for help if you know you can’t make your required monthly payment. When you contact your lenders ask about hardship options that are available and do this as soon as possible. You don’t want to wait until you’ve already missed a payment. Due to the continuation of COVID-19, many lenders are putting policies in place to help everyday consumers pay their bills.

There are many options available. Lenders may, for a short, temporary time, be able to lower your interest rate or payment or put a hold on your payments for a disclosed period of time. Lenders may also be able to place your loans in deferment or forbearance. You don’t have to make loan payments when a loan is in deferment or forbearance. Making contact could be very beneficial due to the fact the lender will not report late payments to the credit bureaus.

What are three things we should not do financially during an economic downturn?

1. You’ll want to avoid becoming a cosigner on a loan, taking out an adjustable-rate mortgage, and taking on new debt—all of which can increase your financial risk.
2. If you’re a business owner or an employee, avoid new or extra expenses. Do not take on new debt until the economy has shown a complete recovery at a considerable rate.
3. Think about the long term. Acknowledge your emergency savings situation and develop a plan to prioritize your expenses. 

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Credit Specialist Kareem McMurrin Gives COVID-19 Financial Tips

A great credit score is not always easy to come by. Student loans, credit card bills, missed payments, and now COVID-19, can all affect one’s credit score. During these uncertain times, many have faced unexpected financial burdens that will have long-term effects.

Kareem McMurrin, owner of Bar Financials, has more than seven years of experience helping individuals plan financially for their futures. Featured on outlets such as Fox Soul, McMurrin has identified sound practices that can help people plan, build, or re-build financially even through volatile circumstances.

BlackEnterprise.com talked to McMurrin about how to protect credit, recession-proof credit scores, and what not do financially during a pandemic.

What should Americans who received a stimulus payment know about the payment? 

According to reports in December 2019, 69% of Americans have less than $1,000 in case of any emergency. From the very beginning of this COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve most importantly been made aware of what it actually takes to even prepare for or survive through such [an event]. Using your stimulus check to start an emergency fund would be a great idea that would help relieve stress and help prepare for uncertainties.

How can people protect their credit during the COVID-19 Pandemic?

The single biggest thing anyone can do is pay all your bills on time if possible. Do your best to make your payments on time, even if you’re only meeting your creditors’ minimum requirements.

During times of crisis, you will see an increase in fraudulent activity. Monitor your debit and credit card usage by setting transaction alerts and view your statements. Be aware of spam emails acting as known companies baiting you to click on links. Do not provide anyone your credit card information or Social Security card information over the phone unless it is a trusted source that you know.

Is there a way to recession-proof your credit score?

Contact your lenders for help if you know you can’t make your required monthly payment. When you contact your lenders ask about hardship options that are available and do this as soon as possible. You don’t want to wait until you’ve already missed a payment. Due to the continuation of COVID-19, many lenders are putting policies in place to help everyday consumers pay their bills.

There are many options available. Lenders may, for a short, temporary time, be able to lower your interest rate or payment or put a hold on your payments for a disclosed period of time. Lenders may also be able to place your loans in deferment or forbearance. You don’t have to make loan payments when a loan is in deferment or forbearance. Making contact could be very beneficial due to the fact the lender will not report late payments to the credit bureaus.

What are three things we should not do financially during an economic downturn?

1. You’ll want to avoid becoming a cosigner on a loan, taking out an adjustable-rate mortgage, and taking on new debt—all of which can increase your financial risk.
2. If you’re a business owner or an employee, avoid new or extra expenses. Do not take on new debt until the economy has shown a complete recovery at a considerable rate.
3. Think about the long term. Acknowledge your emergency savings situation and develop a plan to prioritize your expenses. 

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New York paramedic opens up after coronavirus-coma experience: ‘I’m not the same person I was before this started’

A New York paramedic who recovered from COVID-19 has a new lease on life.

Christell Cadet, an emergency responder for the Fire Department of New York City, fell ill with coronavirus and was placed in a medically induced coma in March. Cadet was taken to the hospital after her family discovered her several weeks ago at home on her hand and knees struggling to breathe, the New York Daily News reported.

The last thing she remembered was telling doctors she couldn’t breathe, following an appearance on CNN from her hospital bed.

READ MORE: Bebe Winans on recovering from COVID-19: ‘Keep the spirit moving’

“I kept telling the staff I was having trouble breathing and too tired to breathe on my own, and I have to be put on ventilator,” Cadet stated. “They put me in a coma after that.”

Cadet was placed in a state of unconsciousness on March 21 as doctors worked for weeks to save her life.

Doctors put her on an ECMO machine, or life support, to supply her with oxygen. Meanwhile, making matters worse, her 65-year-old father suffered a stroke in early April as the stress of his daughter’s situation mounted. He is currently recovering from his condition.

Cadet was taken off the ventilator as her condition improved and she awoke in late April.

Cadet is now home recovering, but continues to use an oxygen tank and go through rehab to restore her ability to walk and speech.

“You don’t know how bad it can actually get,” Cadet explained. “I didn’t know it could be that bad. No one knows how bad this virus was — is.”

READ MORE: New York ICU nurse sobs after ‘walking into rooms and your patients are dead’ from coronavirus

With the worst behind her, Cadet now has a newfound sense of self.

“I woke up a totally different person,” Cadet said. “I’m not the same person I was before this started. Mentally, it makes me look at things different. It makes me appreciate life in a different way.”

The post New York paramedic opens up after coronavirus-coma experience: ‘I’m not the same person I was before this started’ appeared first on TheGrio.

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LeBron James reveals official title of the ‘Space Jam’ sequel

It’s long been known that NBA superstar LeBron James will be the face of a forthcoming
Space Jam sequel, but little else has been revealed.

Until now.

The Los Angeles Lakers star took to Instagram Thursday to unveil the official name of the film: Space Jam: A New Legacy.

James made a boomerang post of himself wearing a cap embroidered with the title.

View this post on Instagram

2021. 🐰🥕 🎥 🍿👑

A post shared by LeBron James (@kingjames) on Apr 30, 2020 at 1:23pm PDT

It was then re-posted by the film’s official Twitter page later on that day.

Repost from #LeBronJames: 2021. 🐰🥕 🎥 🍿👑 pic.twitter.com/G499sIvXL6

— Space Jam A New Legacy (@spacejammovie) April 30, 2020

READ MORE: LeBron James to honor 2020 class with ‘Graduate Together’ TV Special

The year 2021 was written in the caption, but an official release date has yet to be confirmed for the basketball movie that straddles fiction and reality.

Space Jam: A New Legacy will mark James’ time as the lead actor in a major motion picture. It’s the follow-up to the 1996 film Space Jam starring Michael Jordan, who teamed up with animated Looney Tunes characters to take on the Monstars, a team of aliens who harvested basketball talents from other NBA stars, in a game of basketball.

The original, which grossed $230 million at the box office, also featured Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird, former Philadelphia 76er Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing, who played most of his professional career with the New York Knicks. It is assumed that current NBA stars will also join James for the sequel, however, no one has been announced as of yet.

READ MORE: Michael Jordan once turned down $100M deal because he’d have to appear at a two-hour event

 

James made his first appearance on the big screen as himself in the 2015 rom-com Train Wreck, which starred with Amy Schumer and Bill Hader.

James, who is the face of the NBA, has also been busy behind the scenes in video production. He is the executive producer of two shows on Showtime, including celebrity interview series The Shop and documentary ‘Shut Up & Dribble,’ which speaks to the link between sports and political activism.

The post LeBron James reveals official title of the ‘Space Jam’ sequel appeared first on TheGrio.

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