WFH : In the long run
How is your ‘Work From Home’ going? Is it really fun? Is it productive? Are you able to distinguish between ‘Work for Home’ and ‘Work from Home’?
Whatever your answer is, this pandemic is giving enough time for the companies to test all possibilities of working from a remote location. But the question is, will this continue for the long run? What can we expect after this pandemic is over? There are a lot of possibilities. Let’s look at some of the positives and negatives.
Positive Side
WFH provides flexibility in the working hours. You can work as per your own convenience, provided you finish it before the deadline.
Companies will save a lot of money as the requirement for the resources will be reduced. Companies now pay around 1–2 Lakh per person for the office space which they take on lease. This will be significantly reduced if WFH is adopted for thelong run. Cost for transportation, food, will also be reduced. This saved money can be used to increase the compensation for the employees.
How much time do you waste while commuting for your office? With the commencement of WFH for the long run, we can expect a huge downfall in the commute problem. Fewer cars on the road mean less traffic, less time on the road. This commute time can be used for some other productive work.
Reduced number of vehicles will therefore, help reduce the air pollution. We can see a better air quality index.
There is one more advantage which is equally important. While working from home, you will get enough time for your family and hence this will improve your work-life balance. This will aslo help working mothers. But you need to keep a clear distinction between ‘Work for Home’ and ‘Work from Home’. It’s good if you have a dedicated working space.
Negative Side
Am I audible? Can you see me? Are you facing this while on a call? Connectivity issue is one of the initial challenges for WFH. Although, this is a trivial one.
This is something that can be resolved easily. While in office, you get the opportunity to have impromptu conferences, brainstorming sessions which can’t be compensated easily. There is a lack of collaborative feeling while working from home.
Apart from all these formal meetings, foosball matches, coffee breaks and conversations at the cafeteria also add to productivity. While working from home, human-touch is missing. As man is considered to be a social animal, it is very difficult to be alone and work. Helping someone sitting next to you gives you a sense of fulfilment which can’t be achieved via a mail or call.
Lack of dedicated working space and power outages also adds to some extent. One of the problems while working from home is data security. Some workplaces don’t allow people to bring their cell phone. While working from home, this can’t be monitored.
Some companies follow some specific culture like having a weekly meal together to provide an opportunity for networking across teams (we have Wednesday breakfast and Friday cookies) which can’t be achieved when working from home.
Now as we discussed both the sides of the coin, let’s see some of the possibilities.
Possibilities
Considering both the sides, what can be done? There is a need for some innovative solutions.
Asking someone to ‘Work From Home’ for a long run is not a good solution at all. A suggestion, in my opinion, can be Working from home on alternate days or alternate weeks. The concept of hot-desking can be promoted. Also, compensation can be provided on performance basis. This will keep the employees motivated and hence increase productivity.
As it is well said ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’, I am sure companies will come up with a lot of creative ideas. What we can do is just wait and watch.
Feel free to share your opinions and feedback with me :)
