Remote work was very rare a decade ago. Working from home was usually only available as a special arrangement to accommodate families in specific cases. Remote employment was limited to the jobs of telemarketing or customer services. Over the years with advance technology , business started growing with remote employee. Full time jobs are now being considered for work from home (WFH). There is pragmatic change in thinking of Managers also that personal direct reporting is not needed for success of business.
The current lockdown by different authorities due to Pandemic Coronavirus in the world has forced companies to think of Work from Home ( WFH ) Option.
The biggest question comes in mind “will it be a Corporate Trend now “. To find out the answer, we need to look into different Pros and Cons for Work from Home.
In countries like USA, Work from Home was already there but was applicable to roughly 20 % work force. For India , it is something new. Comparing USA and India, there is big difference in work culture and attitude for both employees and employer. Leaving IT sector BPO, all other sector are in same boat. So we have to see viability in Indian context.
Over the years, service sector has become key driver for Indian GDP. Service sector is contributing approximately 56% of GDP and employing roughly 32 % of work force. when we talk about WFH, we have to keep in mind service sector.
To keep services interrupted during lockdown due to Covid-19, Companies especially in IT sector have moved majority of their work force to WFH. They are finding it beneficial as companies services are running. But other than services, there are other beneficial things also.
Cost Saving : Cities like Mumbai, Bangalore , Delhi NCR or you take any Tier-1 city, cost of office is very high. For big companies in India, cost per employee comes in between 1.5 to 2 lakhs per annum. For smaller companies, it is more. Then comes additional cost of transportation, air conditioning, furnishing and cafeteria. As per studies in Work from home, average cost per employee will come down by roughly 25% to 35%. That is a big saving in any standard.
Convenience : This is another big thing which will come in aid to the companies. Work from Home will encourage more women to join work force as hassle of daily travel will be done with. Flexible Timing In Work from Home will encourage mothers to join as she can easily juggle between Home and office work.
You can hire the best, no matter where they are. No office means, you can work with anyone in the world… Employee can work for longer hours. Wasting time on useless meetings will be over. Boss distraction is less in WFH giving strength to new thought that direct personal reporting is not needed always.
Loyalty towards company can also increase. Employees will take less sick leaves and above all need of vacation will come down. Stress level will come down and a better work-life balance.
Looking at flip side, where we will loose
Productivity :
Biggest loss will be productivity. While it may look easy but working from home
isn’t as easy as it appears. The absence of water cooler conversations,
impromptu meetings and cafeteria discussions with colleagues could impact
productivity. People need to meet to brainstorm.
Live video feeds help out-of-office workers see
and speak to one another in real time but We will lose the human touch.
Difficulty sticking to a routine. The order you do things at work is almost never the order you do things at home. It can be tough to mirror your schedule and processes once outside the office.
Many companies don’t allow smart phones during work. How that will be controlled.
In majority of Indian homes, it will be difficult to get a dedicated space to set up a office. People need to see the infrastructure issue of Power back up and Broadband lines. Making a suitable arrangement for working at odd hours could also be a problem. These can bring down the productivity.
Security Risk : Another major issue will be risk involving client data. Several critical and financial details of several government entities and global clients are supported by Indian IT companies. WFH can put their data in compromising position.
Lastly work from home can be treated as commercial establishment resulting in increase in tariffs.
Fighting the change may do more harm than good. Instead of resisting the change, organizations should improve their remote work policies and capabilities. But its too early to say . A complete evaluation for Pros and Cons is need of hour.
Being efficient working from home can be a challenge. There are tons of distractions, less accountability, and less communication than when you’re working in the office. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. We can only say , please follow some guidelines if you have Work from Home.
- Create a healthy work space. Good light, comfortable temperature, ergonomic adjustable chair, Laptop, telephone headset, etc.
- Keep yourself to regular work hours.Establish ground rules for work hour, interruptions etc
- Regular breaks are important for mental balance. Set up your alarm for regular breaks for meals, coffee, minor chores or simply to get up from your seat and stand for a bit.
- Dress like you are at work. Even if you won’t be interacting with another person all day, it’s important to dress for success. This includes showering and brushing your teeth! This will tell your brain that it’s work time, not relaxation time, and that will give you a lot more energy. Sweatpants and a T-shirt might be more comfortable, but you may also feel sluggish, sleepy, or unmotivated.
- No roomies allowed. Being efficient working from home is all about boundaries. This also means setting boundaries for kids, pets, and your spouse or roommates. Try to encourage them to leave you alone while you are working so you can stay focused.
- Stay in the loop. One of the best things about working in an office is the potential for collaboration and socialization. You don’t have to lose this just because you are working from home. Try to check in with your coworkers at least a couple of times per week, whether by email, phone, Skype, or even in person. Make sure you keep up on a personal level as well as a professional level. You can do this without taking a lot of time–just share the things that are most important, and encourage your coworkers to do the same.
I think if you can follow these guidelines, Work from Home days will be your best days of life.
Author : Sudesh Kachroo, Consultant Retail
Profile : https://www.instagram.com/kachroosudesh