With the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, working from home (WFH) gave some employers the flexibility to continue their operations while prioritising staff and customer health and well-being as part of their public health responsibility.
The rush to give employees access to all the tools they’d need to work from home was a bit, well, sudden for many employers. But after everyone settled in, what quickly became apparent to many office-based teams is that employees could be productive and focussed when not in the office – in many cases, even more so.
However not all professions can apply the WFH approach as some require the physical attendance of the employee to carry out their duties such as construction workers and medical professionals. But this was easily simplified with the implementation of a rotation schedule where workers would report for their duties based on a shift system.
When things got back to normal in the Sultanate with the announcement of the Endemic Phase on June 1, there were no more restrictions to the number of people working at offices and work places.
Some departments even discontinued the WFH approach all together by announcing that the QR code used to scan for the staff’s daily attendance was no longer valid. With the number of COVID cases averaging up to 600 cases every week, it might be feasible to consider maintaining the WFH approach for now.
Working at home means you have less exposure to other people’s germs and illnesses.
Enjoying the comfort of your home and the ability to rest also means it’s easier for you to recover when you do get ill. This is beneficial because it leads to fewer sick days.
Remote working can also significantly lower your stress levels. This is because it takes away the anxiety and hassle associated with your daily commute to work. Furthermore, since you’re no longer surrounded by co-workers every day, it’s much easier to avoid office politics and gossip. Working remotely is beneficial because it gives you more time to spend with your family. This is evidently true for parents without the privilege of having a housemaid to care for their children.
Many staff get lost hours just for arriving late to the office after sending their children at daycare centres or dropping them off under the care of the grandparents. The struggle is real especially for working mothers in terms of juggling family responsibilities and work commitment.
Working from home can greatly increase work-life balance. In a 2019 US study, 81 per cent of respondents said the ability to work remotely would allow them to manage work-life conflict better.
Remote work has been shown to increase sleep, reduce stress, and allow more time for healthy habits like exercise.
Number One WFH Advocate
