Like the rest of the world, all of us at Stackery have been watching the alarming spread of COVID-19 with concern and global uncertainty as well as sadness for those whose lives have been directly impacted by the illness.

Our hearts go out to those in customer-facing roles who are currently displaced by the pandemic. At Stackery, we are fortunate to operate as a remote-friendly company and are well configured for this current shift in work culture. Nevertheless, it’s difficult not to see our wonderful teammates each day and engage in in-person collaboration during this time of social distancing. It is the right thing to do in these current circumstances, however.

As such, Stackery has canceled the PDX Serverless Meetup this month and will be paying close attention to advisories when making a decision about the next scheduled gathering in April. The health and wellness of the community come first.

While work continues for us, we are also taking this time to take care of one another and foster a positive and empathetic culture that involves balance and mirrors our values. Isolation is an important part of stopping the spread of COVID-19, but this can have a profound effect on team morale and personal outlook— the fear and difficulty associated with halting traditional social interaction stings for everyone.

To ameliorate these challenges, we have started having optional lunchtime streams for anyone at Stackery who is already missing office banter, regularly check in with one another, and encourage everyone to (safely) get fresh air when needed. These are just a few ideas to make this time slightly easier for your own team.

If you have a fantastic tip for fostering camaraderie while under recommendation to self-quarantine/work remotely, please don’t hesitate to share with us on twitter. Our ears are open.

We will get through this, but only by heeding the science and data-driven recommendations from the public health sector — and by remaining empathetic and patient with one another.

All of us at Stackery wish you and your loved ones healthier days ahead.