Working from home – the new normal?

By Macy Chitepo

AS I write this article, I am counting down days and telling myself that it is only a few days before I go back to work when the national lockdown is finally over.

Getting used to working from home versus working from the office is a huge challenge.

But my biggest question is on how life is going to be like after this and how will families adapt to changing times?

Despite measures taken to curb the spread of the disease, Covid-19 is sweeping across the entire planet.

Confirmed infections stand at nearly three million with over 200 000 deaths recorded.

We all know how dangerous the virus is and how contagious it is, as well as how rapidly the disease spreads, thus at this rate this calls for all of us to work from home as much as possible, in order to be safe and avoid exposure.

Like everything else in life, working from home comes with its pros and cons, which I will look into below.

Reality Check

Remote working is not a question any more but a reality. For those of us who have to deal with this new reality, the challenge is how to strike a balance with children,  family, chores and the practical issues of working from home – internet connectivity, affordability of data, or something as seemingly simple as having an appropriate working space.

Some of you may have seen the hilarious incident on BBC where Professor Robert Kelly was in a live interview with BBC when his two young children interrupted him and the video clip went viral, such are the pitfalls of the new reality!

It is common knowledge that it is not all workers from all industries who can work from home, as some workers need to work from their traditional workplaces.

Take for example the transport industry, it is not practical for a bus driver to work from home, whereas some in the media sector (such as columnists like myself) can easily work from home, while my colleagues in live news coverage cannot.

For those who can and are working from home, this calls for some adjustment by both employers and employees.

What to expect

This new normal calls for new thinking in organisations, whole systems and business models may have to be revamped, if organisations are to survive.

Employees will be affected by the changes that organisations may be forced to adopt – employees may feel isolated, some may lose their jobs.

The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed most organisations in terms of lack of training in the use of tools for efficient remote working, as it has, overnight, become necessary to coordinate whole departments from isolation zones (homes).

Most companies have never invested in training employees on how to use applications such Zoom, Skype and House party, or tools such as screen sharing, all of which are highly effective tools when teams have to work together, hold meetings, and conduct presentations from different physical locations.

Due to this lack of preparedness, progress and deadlines have paid the price, and have been sacrificed while companies scrambled to find their feet in the new reality. In most cases, Whatsapp groups chats have been the main mode of communication in the absence of investment in proper tools and channels ideal for business.

What makes working from home challenging?

Getting used to working from home versus working from the office is a huge challenge.

The informal setup and lack of formal structures and processes can make it very difficult for one to get started, or to get any work done with the speed and efficiency that comes as standard when in a formal office environment.

Presence of family members and young children can make working from home tricky, as it can be difficult to control other members of the family, as was seen in the Professor Kelly’s interview.

Confidentiality of work can be compromised in the home, just as privacy in the home can be compromised.

This was clearly shown recently when a video went viral on social media, of a woman who blundered by forgetting to log out of a video conference while working from home, and exposed herself while in the bathroom.

Where team members find themselves working alone from home, the physical separation from work colleagues can result in the absence of a shared sense of purpose, and feelings of isolation.

Lack of facilities at home, that we take for granted at the office, can seriously hamper efficiency, such as lack of equipment for photocopying and scanning documents.

Communication and internet connectivity problems can slow down work.

When this new reality started most employees struggled to get connectivity since the power supply issue had not been resolved.

Most people had to put in a lot of effort, such as re-arranging their homes to become more business-like, and for those without facilities it was quite a challenge to create space where there was none, thus business and time was lost whilst people dealt with initial logistics.

Advantages of working from home

Once settled into the new normal, many have discovered that working from home can bring positive change, as you can set up a schedule that suits you, take breaks when you want to, and even set your own working hours.

You will be able to spend more time with your family, which in turn can lower stress levels. Working from home cuts down on time spent commuting to and from work, and results in significant savings on transport costs.

Not having to buy lunch at the corner take-away joint can save you money, and cutting down on junk food can lead to heathier eating choices.

Unlike working from the office, when working from home you have better control over disturbances and distractions, and many will be saved the ordeal of having to deal with energy vampires and time-wasters, such as chatty workmates.

Final thoughts for the week

Remote working is not simply a unique setup or a question of whether or not it can be done or should be done.

It is the new reality, very different from the traditional setup.

Companies have seen the wisdom of investing in training personnel in the most used remote meeting platforms and tools for professionals, and everyone is alive to the fact that things can be done differently.

After all, the show must go on, and each must play his part in ensuring that while we adapt to the changes necessary in our daily lives to keep the Covid-19 threat at bay, we do everything possible to keep our economy functional and viable.