Hello,
The current Covid situation has been challenging for all HR professionals to ensure that our employees and organizations are healthy. Is working from home a boon or a bane? I'm curious to know about different work-from-home policies.
Thanks.
From India, Bengaluru
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The current Covid situation has been challenging for all HR professionals to ensure that our employees and organizations are healthy. Is working from home a boon or a bane? I'm curious to know about different work-from-home policies.
Thanks.
From India, Bengaluru
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Dear member,
You have raised the question, "Is work from home a Boon or a Bane?" Do you wish to acquire the opinions from the members spread across society? If yes, then why? You could have given a little more information about yourself. Why do you wish to conduct this exercise? Is the curiosity out of your organization's need or to fill a surplus time at hand?
In the larger context, the "Work From Home" (WFH) facility has allowed a chunk of the workforce to work from home. Since they were not required to visit their office, the exposure to the dreaded COVID-19 virus could be avoided, and thereby this facility has served humanity.
The WFH mode of work could work because companies have transitioned from paper-based work to modern internet-based systems that are paperless. If the COVID-19 pandemic were to strike just 20 years ago, the havoc it would have wrought cannot be imagined.
The secondary benefit of WFH is reduced commutation or zero commutation of the employees for work. It has reduced the consumption of fuel and thereby reduced pollution as well. Less consumption of fuel has reduced the import of crude oil also, resulting in saving foreign exchange.
On the opposite side: -
WFH has reduced social interaction. Not all homes are cozy places. There is a lot of tension because of domestic affairs. Against this backdrop, employees, by coming to the office, were entering a different world. The workplaces also act as a valve where employees confide their problems and challenges to their confidants. Now, this is not happening.
Going further, let us not forget the dictum "man is a social animal." Personal interactions occasionally brought healthy debates and fostered the churning of ideas. All this has come to a standstill now. Though WFH helps maintain virtual touch with colleagues, it is not a personal touch. Without the personal touch, aloofness increases.
The WFH facility has isolated a social animal from the herd. Therefore, what social impact it will create remains to be seen.
There are merits and demerits of WFH. How to strike a balance is up to the leadership of the company.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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8218You have raised the question, "Is work from home a Boon or a Bane?" Do you wish to acquire the opinions from the members spread across society? If yes, then why? You could have given a little more information about yourself. Why do you wish to conduct this exercise? Is the curiosity out of your organization's need or to fill a surplus time at hand?
In the larger context, the "Work From Home" (WFH) facility has allowed a chunk of the workforce to work from home. Since they were not required to visit their office, the exposure to the dreaded COVID-19 virus could be avoided, and thereby this facility has served humanity.
The WFH mode of work could work because companies have transitioned from paper-based work to modern internet-based systems that are paperless. If the COVID-19 pandemic were to strike just 20 years ago, the havoc it would have wrought cannot be imagined.
The secondary benefit of WFH is reduced commutation or zero commutation of the employees for work. It has reduced the consumption of fuel and thereby reduced pollution as well. Less consumption of fuel has reduced the import of crude oil also, resulting in saving foreign exchange.
On the opposite side: -
WFH has reduced social interaction. Not all homes are cozy places. There is a lot of tension because of domestic affairs. Against this backdrop, employees, by coming to the office, were entering a different world. The workplaces also act as a valve where employees confide their problems and challenges to their confidants. Now, this is not happening.
Going further, let us not forget the dictum "man is a social animal." Personal interactions occasionally brought healthy debates and fostered the churning of ideas. All this has come to a standstill now. Though WFH helps maintain virtual touch with colleagues, it is not a personal touch. Without the personal touch, aloofness increases.
The WFH facility has isolated a social animal from the herd. Therefore, what social impact it will create remains to be seen.
There are merits and demerits of WFH. How to strike a balance is up to the leadership of the company.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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As rightly pointed out by our esteemed Dinesh Sir, WFH has both positive and negative sides. WFH is not possible in many industries like manufacturing, security, etc. Now, it has been more than 8 continuous months, and in many areas of WFH, people are getting tired of it and eagerly awaiting an opportunity to work in the real world.
The improvised virtual working has left almost everyone in the teaching and learning world eagerly awaiting an end to this chaotic situation.
From India, Mumbai
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The improvised virtual working has left almost everyone in the teaching and learning world eagerly awaiting an end to this chaotic situation.
From India, Mumbai
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The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many new challenges to HR professionals' and personal lives. The majority of global employee management isn't always used to working from home; this surprising alternative has led to many problems. They are adjusting their strategies to meet their business needs amidst everything that is taking place around the world. Until now, remote working was seen more as a perk or luxury that businesses offered to meet the needs of the employees and vice versa. But now, it has taken center stage in our working lifestyle.
From India, Pune
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From India, Pune
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Dear all,
Regarding the discussion in the previous post, let me add further. Technology has many benefits, but it also diminishes the richness of life. What are the drawbacks of lacking personal interaction? Click the following link to explore the perspectives of Fareed Zakaria as presented in the latest episode of his renowned TV program "Global Public Square": https://twitter.com/i/status/1333131557696131077
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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Regarding the discussion in the previous post, let me add further. Technology has many benefits, but it also diminishes the richness of life. What are the drawbacks of lacking personal interaction? Click the following link to explore the perspectives of Fareed Zakaria as presented in the latest episode of his renowned TV program "Global Public Square": https://twitter.com/i/status/1333131557696131077
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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Dear colleague,
WFH is a hot topic as this model has come to stay. The experience gained so far from its working will help in churning of thoughts from experts on its implications.
I would like to share my thoughts and observations:
1. Widespread WFH work model in India is compelled by the current Coronavirus outbreak. Given choice, companies would not have adopted it on their own.
2. Its adoption is not seen in the full spectrum of industries or workforce and is only confined to a small but sizable section of industries, jobs/roles, and institutions. More particularly, IT, IT-enabled, techno-savvy companies, and organizations which already have enabling infrastructure have gone for it. The Manufacturing, Hospitality, Transport, Frontline sales, and central/state govt employees to mention a few, where physical presence of employees is a must, this work model may not be feasible. This means, a very large section of the workforce will eventually continue to work with physical presence.
3. The WFH model wherever made operational, appears to be largely advantageous to both companies and employees. Better efficiency/productivity and lower costs to companies and no commute, work-life balance in the midst of family members, lowered pollution levels, etc., are some of the greatest advantages to employees and society at large. However, it is not without any downside - Isolation, stress, and boredom disturb employees' mental health.
4. The full ramifications/impact of the WFH model on individual, family, relationships, and organization are yet not fully assessed. Though it is not a rosy picture unfolding from working of this model, going by experience so far, it appears to be of mutual advantages and to society at large.
5. But the most important question is what will happen once the pandemic is over and everything becomes normal. Will this WFH model continue to stay? My take is it will at least in certain industries as is current. But barring this, the rest of the industries will return to physical presence at the workplace and both models will simultaneously continue as before. So the accompanying challenges of large-scale commute, pollution, rising cost of production, etc., will return with vengeance. However, all the stakeholders should come together to bring more industries in its fold and make this model more successful by harnessing technological resources.
This work model is dynamic and evolving. Lessons learnt so far through its adoption may be put to use to make forward march successful and sustainable.
Regards,
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR and Employee Relations Consultant
From India, Mumbai
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
WFH is a hot topic as this model has come to stay. The experience gained so far from its working will help in churning of thoughts from experts on its implications.
I would like to share my thoughts and observations:
1. Widespread WFH work model in India is compelled by the current Coronavirus outbreak. Given choice, companies would not have adopted it on their own.
2. Its adoption is not seen in the full spectrum of industries or workforce and is only confined to a small but sizable section of industries, jobs/roles, and institutions. More particularly, IT, IT-enabled, techno-savvy companies, and organizations which already have enabling infrastructure have gone for it. The Manufacturing, Hospitality, Transport, Frontline sales, and central/state govt employees to mention a few, where physical presence of employees is a must, this work model may not be feasible. This means, a very large section of the workforce will eventually continue to work with physical presence.
3. The WFH model wherever made operational, appears to be largely advantageous to both companies and employees. Better efficiency/productivity and lower costs to companies and no commute, work-life balance in the midst of family members, lowered pollution levels, etc., are some of the greatest advantages to employees and society at large. However, it is not without any downside - Isolation, stress, and boredom disturb employees' mental health.
4. The full ramifications/impact of the WFH model on individual, family, relationships, and organization are yet not fully assessed. Though it is not a rosy picture unfolding from working of this model, going by experience so far, it appears to be of mutual advantages and to society at large.
5. But the most important question is what will happen once the pandemic is over and everything becomes normal. Will this WFH model continue to stay? My take is it will at least in certain industries as is current. But barring this, the rest of the industries will return to physical presence at the workplace and both models will simultaneously continue as before. So the accompanying challenges of large-scale commute, pollution, rising cost of production, etc., will return with vengeance. However, all the stakeholders should come together to bring more industries in its fold and make this model more successful by harnessing technological resources.
This work model is dynamic and evolving. Lessons learnt so far through its adoption may be put to use to make forward march successful and sustainable.
Regards,
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR and Employee Relations Consultant
From India, Mumbai
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Dear Friends,
WFH( Work from home) and WCTH ( work close to home) are employment options in this Covid19 pandemic time. WFH efficacy depends upon the internet speed, cellphone network availability and any other using technologies/devices.
Work From Home doesn't mean an employee is available anytime. An employee’s life is a balanced act on professional and personal affairs while working from home. Work from home is a Boon as well as a Bane. For example: If you have a quarrelsome/problematic spouse or obstinate/mischievous child at home WFH is a bane. If you are a single/bachelor/spinster/have a supportive spouse WFH is a boon.
Yours faithfully,
Mohandas Nair.
From India, Mumbai
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WFH( Work from home) and WCTH ( work close to home) are employment options in this Covid19 pandemic time. WFH efficacy depends upon the internet speed, cellphone network availability and any other using technologies/devices.
Work From Home doesn't mean an employee is available anytime. An employee’s life is a balanced act on professional and personal affairs while working from home. Work from home is a Boon as well as a Bane. For example: If you have a quarrelsome/problematic spouse or obstinate/mischievous child at home WFH is a bane. If you are a single/bachelor/spinster/have a supportive spouse WFH is a boon.
Yours faithfully,
Mohandas Nair.
From India, Mumbai
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The work-from-home experiment has led to greater flexibility, but it has also resulted in the blurring of boundaries between work and personal life.
We have a blog post where we explain some useful tips to maintain your workplace practices. You can find it here: [Productivity During Work from Home](https://hrone.cloud/productivity-during-work-from-home/)
From India, Noida
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We have a blog post where we explain some useful tips to maintain your workplace practices. You can find it here: [Productivity During Work from Home](https://hrone.cloud/productivity-during-work-from-home/)
From India, Noida
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Work from home is overall good for the employee and employer. Although in IT companies and some developed nations, it's not new, in India due to Covid-19, WFH is becoming more common. Employees have shown better efficiency and productivity while WFH.
Costs to companies are reduced as employees have no commute, can maintain a work-life balance among family members, and contribute to lower pollution levels. These are some of the advantages for both employees, companies, and the nation.
Employers with sufficient IT infrastructure should provide the necessary facilities for employees working from home. Industries like manufacturing, medical companies, hospitality, government employees, front-line sales, and marketing companies should adopt this practice to contribute to national development.
Employers should focus on the delivery of work rather than monitoring every aspect of what employees do.
Ram Mohan Prajapati
Power Sector - HR
New Delhi
From India, Delhi
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Costs to companies are reduced as employees have no commute, can maintain a work-life balance among family members, and contribute to lower pollution levels. These are some of the advantages for both employees, companies, and the nation.
Employers with sufficient IT infrastructure should provide the necessary facilities for employees working from home. Industries like manufacturing, medical companies, hospitality, government employees, front-line sales, and marketing companies should adopt this practice to contribute to national development.
Employers should focus on the delivery of work rather than monitoring every aspect of what employees do.
Ram Mohan Prajapati
Power Sector - HR
New Delhi
From India, Delhi
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What is working from home? This chapter will explain what working from home actually means, why it was already becoming more common even before the pandemic, and current trends and statistics.
Remote work vs working from home. There are some differences between remote work and working from home, and this chapter gives you a brief overview.
Advantages and disadvantages of working from home. Like everything else, there are upsides and downsides to working from home.
How to create an effective work-from-home policy. This chapter teaches employers how to set employee expectations, determine which positions are eligible to work from home, and decide on prudent security measures.
How to work from home successfully. This chapter gives employees tips on staying focused, establishing a routine, communicating with coworkers, and managing distractions. You’ll also learn how to set up a home office.
Best work-from-home software. Technology makes it possible to work from home. This chapter covers the software you’ll need to succeed.
From Singapore, Singapore
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Remote work vs working from home. There are some differences between remote work and working from home, and this chapter gives you a brief overview.
Advantages and disadvantages of working from home. Like everything else, there are upsides and downsides to working from home.
How to create an effective work-from-home policy. This chapter teaches employers how to set employee expectations, determine which positions are eligible to work from home, and decide on prudent security measures.
How to work from home successfully. This chapter gives employees tips on staying focused, establishing a routine, communicating with coworkers, and managing distractions. You’ll also learn how to set up a home office.
Best work-from-home software. Technology makes it possible to work from home. This chapter covers the software you’ll need to succeed.
From Singapore, Singapore
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A man came home from work late.doc
How to Make Home Office Work for You.pdf