No More 9 To 5? WFH Gains Momentum As Workers Demand Flexible Work Hours

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As the world got engulfed in fears of a rising pandemic, every aspect of life for the common man witnessed the effects - from financial conditions of nations, companies and organisations to the time management of a common person. Daily-wage workers were probably one of the worst-hit among the population. Private firms were forced to cut salaries, if not terminate excess employees due to failure of payment of salaries. 

No more 9 to 5?

With an uprising among workers and the imminent threat of closure, companies had to shift their working hours with respect to the SOPs dictated by the government. This was a time when Work From Home gained momentum, though essential workers had to come to the office to carry out their respective operations.

However, most organisations suited the working environment according to the changing world- they introduced WFH and with WFH, flexible work hours became a new trend among employees. Now, employees not only had control on where they could work from, but also when they could work. 

Among multinational companies, Twitter was the first to introduce permanent work from home conditions. Followed by this, Mark Zuckerburg decided to imply the idea, and then Facebook announced that as much as 50% of its employees could work from home for the next 5 to 10 years.

Organisations that dealt in services that required physical proximity were the most hard-hit. Airlines, restaurants and hotels, travel and leisure, on-site customer service firms, medical and healthcare services saw the difficulty of adaptation to a new world, since few of these services could not be introduced to the concept of E-Commerce.

WFH: A Boon for Female Workforce?

A work-from-home environment would mean ease in working hours, as well as employees working from the comforts of their suitable environments. People can skip the hassle of traffic and travelling to work, as well as the problem of being late to work.

Some even say that WFH has ensured a safe working environment for the female workforce. With flexible working hours, working women and mothers are able to manage their household schedule well with office timings. Advocates claim that fewer women now leave their jobs, thanks to WFH. However, the topic remains debatable as many women even say that work from home has added more responsibilities to already existing ones. 

The ‘General’ Opinion

Users on quora answered a few questions on the current pandemic situation and the overall impact of work-from-home.

What is your opinion about work from home, when compared to work from the office?

“Having done both I can say that although working from home sounds amazing, as it seems more flexible and you are doing it in your own environment, you have to be very careful about making boundaries and keeping motivated. Yes you don't have a boss looking over your shoulder - that's great, but some people need that to get their job done and avoid procrastinating. So if you do decide to work from home, make for yourself clear boundaries.” Source

“It is a general mentality of people that one has to go to the office which is probably miles away from home, beating the crowd and wasting hours & energy in the journey.

If you have the right skill set, exposure, experience & knowledge in a specific field, you can take up assignments and work frome.

I have been working from home for over a decade now from Kolkata & am earning good enough to support my family.

All it takes is to try experimenting with different types of work until you fit in the perfect one that you love to perform.” Source

What are the pros and cons of working from home and flexibility options?

PROS:

1. You get to stay up later every night and wake up just in time to log in for work.
2. You are relaxed because you don’t have to deal with getting dressed, driving in morning traffic, management breathing down your neck, office politics, awkward social interactions in the office, being distracted by co-workers, etc.
3. You’ll be much more focused on your work because there are no distractions at home (provided you have no kids or pets). You will also be more proficient because you won’t mind taking a little extra time to focus on detail since you aren’t in a rush to get home
4. You can do household chores, have plumbers, technicians, etc come over during business hours and run errands for the household during lunch

CONS:

1. It takes a while to adjust to working from home because it doesn’t “feel” like work. Sometimes the lack of distraction can become a distraction. You have to get used to dead silence and boredom. You don’t have co-workers to keep you entertained.
2. You may find yourself procrastinating more because a big reason why you work as fast as possible at work is so that you can leave on time. But since you are already home, you may lose that sense of urgency.
3. You may eat more. Having full access to the fridge and pantry during your shift may lead to an increase in food consumption. You may want to start working out more!

Source

Why is it harder to work from home over working in an office?

“Absolutely not.

Of course, there are people who are simply not made for working from home - they need a stressful (and challenging) office environment to keep them moving.

I, on the contrary, hate the feeling of being supervised, always did. And office distractions? Even kids’ screams can not compare with those endless (and pointless) meetings, small talk with co-workers, a word with a manager, “may I ask you smth” and so on and so forth.” Source

The future of working conditions

Witnessing the mostly-positive comments on WFH, it is of no doubt that future organisations as well as existing ones will have to adapt to the demands of people. They will have to introduce flexible working hours to meet the requirements of new as well as old employees. Companies, amidst the pandemic, have opted to introduce jobs as well as internships in an increased manner to discover fresh talent and make use of them, as well as give freshers opportunities to utilise their existing skills for the better good.

You might also be interested in reading:

1. Work from home is the future: says Deloitte
2. How educational institutions in India can increase self-dependency of the nation
3. Make work-from-home more productive and fun