WORK FROM HOME IN THE TIMES OF COVID-19

The new age apocalypse in the form of Covid-19 has brought the whole world together. No one could have imagined a scenario where there would be a universal lockdown and your complete life tied-up within the four walls of your homes. On one hand it is a scary scenario. However, another scenario with positive messaging brings your business and professional life attuned to your personal space i.e. your home. As the saying goes “life goes on” and “there is a silver lining to every dark cloud”, we need to find ways to make our lives and those of others as fruitful and productive as possible.
The coronavirus has changed the job market almost overnight. The covid-19 outbreak globally has seriously challenged the economy and job stability. With serious ramifications and impact, different sectors and industries have to take a call before it is too late. It is a paradox that a near tragedy may prove beneficial to some sectors, but some serious thinking must go in the whole process.
This is where remote working or work from home genesis has evolved overnight. The big winners will be the online companies that don’t rely upon brick-and-mortar locations, healthcare providers, supermarket chains; especially those with a robust online presence that cater to people working from home. We have been under the lockdown under the government directives and rightly so. Companies have asked their employees to work from home, till further notice. The coronavirus outbreak has prompted a trial run for remote work on a massive scale. The next few months could shape a future of work and although we might lose on some aspects of creativity and companionship, the gravest threat to many companies from remote work is that it breaks the social bonds that are necessary to productive teamwork. This is the biggest challenge in these adverse conditions. To keep the team spirit high and motivated and channelize the inner new creativity for more productivity. However, with social distancing, people have found novel ways to communicate and socialize through skype conferences, facetime, twitter as so on.
Remember that after the invention of the personal computer, people predicted that our jobs would eventually be emancipated from the office, and home would be the thrilling future of work. So now is the time to discover the advantages of remote working and find the team spirit despite the social distancing. It is said that people who work from home have an easier time eating healthy and striking a manageable work-life balance. Working from home can help you eat healthy, while spending more time with your family. This can help you feel less stressed, which will make for a happier more productive workday.
Work from home can also make a company benefit just as greatly as an employee. Employers can limit absences, increase productivity, and save money. This is most common in the service industry and other companies need to find a way to have their work done virtually. Necessity is the mother of invention and it is important to have the infrastructure to maintain remote workers to stay relevant in worse case scenario. Many Companies have experienced first-hand the benefits of having remote workers at their company. The best talent can work for you since there will not be any geographical restrictions. If anything, remote employees’ production rate is higher because they are better equipped to avoid distractions. The benefits also extend to infra costs as it saves overheads because they pay for their own computer, electricity and other utilities.

However, companies will have to realize that remote work is different work. Managers will need to be better judge of productivity by setting and monitoring specific goals. Workers will have to adopt remarkable diligence when it comes to dividing their day into work, office communications, personal time, and family life. Employees will have to develop new habits, such as keeping copious documentation of every meaningful work interaction, so that teams across space and time are always up to speed on what’s happening “down the hall.” And bosses will have to normalize more video conferencing, because their employees will continue to crave face-to-face interaction.

In the current scare, Twitter is filled with optimistic predictions that the virus will be a turning point in the future of work culture. But a pandemic is not an appropriate time to judge what kind of arrangement is optimally productive. It is rather a moment for companies to build out the kind of technology and culture that could make remote work easier for those who want to take advantage of it and work positively towards the better scenario for the economy world over.

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