Is Work from home permanent?

The year 2020 will go down in history for a variety of reasons. As we grapple with national lockdowns, quarantine, and why to figure from home, we also are evolving to form a way for brand spanking new norms and changes within the surrounding as well as in job markets worldwide. But as we suit these new rules and work-from-home setups, we can’t help but wonder if these changes are here to remain. 

India’s workforce has adapted to permanent remote working:

Recent reports have shown that the IT industry in India enabled work from home for a whopping 90% of the workforce. This action was greatly applauded by the previous CFO at Infosys, Mohandas Pai. The IT veteran also went on to mention that around 30% of the workers will work from range in rotation even post the coronavirus outbreak. Similarly, Tech Mahindra’s CPO (Chief People Officer) Harshvendra Soin, also commented that there was a high likelihood that the longer term of the corporate would have a mixture of physical and remote working post-COVID 19.

In another interview with Ramkumar Ramamoorthy and Ashwini Deshpande, the previous chairman of Cognizant and therefore the Indian Economist, verified the likelihood that some quite permanent remote working pattern is now definitely here to stay. 

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, most companies would have thought wfh opportunities would disrupt their daily operations, cause reduced employee productivity and cause a breakdown in communication. However, the forced lockdown has compelled companies to know why to figure from home and proved that they will run even as smoothly – and in some cases, even better – with remote teams and permanent wfh.

Technological advances that facilitate ‘work-from-home’

As a result of the pandemic, many companies have largely invested in new digital tools to facilitate their digital workforce and may reconsider going back to their previous physical setups. While several companies had already introduced remote working opportunities to their employees, the coronavirus outbreak has simply accelerated the concept and businesses that hadn’t even considered remote working are now accepting this because of the new reality of the workforce.

Furthermore, consistent with many reports, empty offices are resulting in a surge in downloads and usage of online collaboration tools like Zoom meetings, Microsoft teams and Google hangouts. Microsoft Teams saw a huge 500 percent increase in calls, conference and meetings as of March 2020. The percentage is predicted to be much higher in current times. Similarly, Zoom CFO Kelly Stackelberg stated that the corporation was on a run rate of hundred billion annual meeting minutes within the end of January 2020, and therefore the number has been rapidly increasing ever since.

Google and Microsoft have both enabled their premium collaboration and conferencing apps (Microsoft Teams and Google Hangouts) for free of charge and these are one among the highest digital tools for businesses after Zoom (i.e., currently at the highest of the App store).

Why is working from home good?

Working from home allows employees to realize a far better work-life balance. This is a key thing about improving employee satisfaction and may thus cause higher employee retention. Once small challenges like proper time management and planning are ruled , employees can work according to flexible hours and carve out personal time to spend with their family or on activities they love. This balance of both aspects of their lives will help them get a more positive outlook on their job, which may cause better quality of labor.

Additionally, with high job satisfaction, flexible hours, and less time spent in everyday commute, employees will show better health and mental wellness – a trait extremely important to handle the workload and challenges within the company.

Possible challenges of permanent work from home for employers:

Some of the possible challenges of remote working are often as follows:

1) Overworked employees:

With no barriers between workplaces and houses, and lots of teammates located at different locations in several time zones, employees will find it difficult to shut work and unwind. This may result in overworked employees. The vital component here is time management and prioritization. Once employees master this, this challenge might not stand as an obstacle.

2) Technological glitches:

Remote working may produce potential technological glitches in terms of laptops or internet connectivity. Without these two basic requirements, employees might not be ready to speak or connect with the remaining team members.

3) Feeling isolated:

Permanent remote working setups with less physical human contact may emotionally drain employees into feeling isolated. A quick frolic block or maybe virtual games among team members will help employees relax and have a hearty laugh.

4) Security concerns:

With the bulk of labor online, and multiple files and documents saved on devices, tip could also be hospitable potential hacking and other security concerns. Building security policies, passwords wherever required, installing anti malware and anti-viruses is must while doing remote working. Another parameter for such security concerns could also be including the supply of DaaS (Desktop as a service), which may be a secure platform that gives secure and seamless work from home.

A move to a hybrid work structure:

Another change that’s adapted by leading companies and businesses across the planet may be a new rota system. According to Jonathan Dingel, a school researcher at the National Bureau of Economic Research, the transition from physical working to remote working raises big concerns for organizations on how to structure their workforce. While wfh opportunities are the necessity of the hour, employees wouldn’t want to measure an atomized life that’s disconnected from human contact. Many firms and organizations are now watching a rota system that needs different teams alternate between workplaces and houses with reference to social distancing requirements. According to an economic research paper, nearly 40% of industry agree that permanent work from home is going to last.

Greater opportunities in the gig economy

As physical presence becomes smaller an element in producing teams, more companies are likely to partner with Indian freelancers and part-time workers. Companies like Rockerstop offer an integrated dashboard where recruiters can sort through verified job profiles and identify freelancers in India that best suit their requirements. Engaging with freelancers through a trustworthy platform also ensures that recruiters access sustainable and authentic freelancers with less effort.

Work from home benefits both employers and employees to a really large extent. Even once the COVID-19 pandemic dies down, the above factors prove why performing from home is good and hence, the new work-from-home structure certainly seems like it’s here to remain.