OFFSITE WORK: Difficulties to possibilities

COVID-19, a name which you used to hear more than you hear your name in a day in a current environment, isn’t it? 

                       COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic by World Health Organization due to a situation of complete lockdown became a necessity. But all we can do to get rid of it is staying at home and perform your responsibility that is working from home. A majority of companies along with institutions have rolled out mandatory remote work or work from home clause.

                            Though working from home sounds to be very easy and comfortable, but still there is no-brainer that the challenges of this scenario are multi-fold, and it is way different that how you’d work from the office. So, whether you are new to the virtual work scenario or a veteran, there are number of challenges you might be facing.

Working from remote areas can seem like a dream come true for a number of employees sick of their morning commutes. But this commute usually helps to maintain a predetermined time table which is a symbol of DISCIPLINE work.

• TIME MANAGEMENT

If there is no force of 9 am to 5 pm schedule, it will be hard to maintain a proper work time and completing the work up to that benchmark. An hour of work can go for 3 to 4 hours overtime effort, reason being, lack of discipline.

• CARE FREE ATTITUDE      

At home, who is the manager and where are your co-employees? Well, because of absence of collocation of employees or co-workers, there will be nobody to consult with or taking suggestion by whenever you find any problem. Linked with, having no one who can look over your shoulder and keep you focused, will raise loneliness in one’s behavior. This will lead to decline in the efficiency and effectiveness of work.

FURTHER, work environment matters a lot in the effectiveness of goal. And working from home is a way different from working at your workplace. Therefore, the challenge of ATMOSPHERE is the essential one.

• DISTRACTIONS

Suppose, you are attending an online conference meeting and your mother gives you a loud call from background…..!!! Sounds humorous but is a real issue. Distractions at home are infinite whether it is call or anything else.

• COMMUNICATION GAP INCLUDING TECHNOLOGICAL AMENITIES

Virtual teams miss the actual direct interaction while sitting alone at working table at home. Even though, technology gives a number of platforms for performing remote work like Skype, video calling, audio calling, online lecture delivery, file transfer, emails etc. But the issue is connectivity and network. Along with that, body language and expressions of one have the power to communicate half of the message without saying anything and this power is totally out of reach in case of remote connection.

• DEDICATION TOWARDS WORK

If you are assigned with a work in office for which you will be accountable after an hour, of course you will be dedicated towards it. But what if the same work is allotted to you at home? It might take 3 to 4 hours because it’s a human tendency to take the non-accountable things for granted. For instance, work at home keeps the spirit and motivation of work down.

• CYBER SECURITY RISKS

Whenever the word ‘digital’ comes in mind , it take its negative aspect along with it that is ‘risk of hacking’. Even digital working is not risk free as it includes number of different viruses, risks, hacks, etc.  For a company , its secrecy matters a lot for its progressive in the competition work. Cyber crime can detected but is of no use once the data has been stolen  or got viral.

• SLOWER BUSINESS DEALINGS

We all must have heard about urgent meetings. They are called urgent  because they need to take some instant business decisions but they are possible only because of physical presence of necessary members. And this presence is not possible while working offsite which ultimately slow down the decision making and dealings.

• CHALLENGE ARISE IN E-LEARNING

Students and teachers are continuous engaged in their work. Online classes, lectures, audio lectures, online assignments, tests, etc. everything is going on. But it’s too consists of numbers of difficulties;

• LAZINESS

A student can’t sleep during a live face to face lecture and can be caught if he or she does so. But unfortunately, it’s no more difficult during an online class or lecture so it implies that excuses and care free attitude of unaware students will go on increasing.

• LACK OF TRANSPERANCY

A student’s behavior regarding studies can be judged by personal direct interactions. Remotely, he or she can cheats easily, use any other source of just showing that he or she is serious for studies. So, online  leactures and e learning are hardly taken on a serious note by students and also decrease the transperancy in responsiveness of students.

PROSPECTS   IN  REMOTE  WORKING

Every coin has two sides. Likewise, working from home is a way demanded by most workers and the reason being ‘comfortable zone’. Still, there are more positive aspects of remote working;

·        TRANSPORTATION  COST;

Transportation cost directly decreased from remote working. Its cost sometimes incurred more than one expects. So there is no need to visit anywhere , just sit on your bed couch and perform your responsibility.

• TIME  SAVING;

Waking up at 5 am , getting ready upto 7 am , leave from home at 

7:30 am and reached to workplace at  8 am…!! Sounds stressful,isn’t it?

Now take aspect of working from home, there is no such issue of timings. Therefore, remote working doesn’t demand bathed suited employees on time, work is what all matters. So, it ultimate save the time. Pressure of getting late for an employee gets eliminated.

• INCREASE  COMFORT  ZONE;

As when hear the working from home concept, first thing stuck in the mind is COMFORT . The environment of home is way far stressful than of office because you can sit the way you want, you can take the break as if u need, there is no one standing over your shoulder, you can have your snacks while preparing a presentation sitting over your couch, which is much more comfort than your cabin of office. Hence, it is major factor considered.

CONCLUDING  WITH;

A hindi idiom says “JAAN HAI TOH JAHAN HAI” .You can work only if you are healthy and alive so working from home is much better than getting infected.The duration of the lockdown is uncertain, and companies will have to extend the work-from-home policy.Work from home is going to stay even after COVID-19 scare got overed.

                                          Make the most of this unique opportunity to work from the comfort couch and fight a pandemic by understanding the variety of challenges it poses to your everyday lifestyle and coming them. Ending with a trending and meaningful hashtag #stayhome.

THANK YOU.

And

               "TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH AND PROTECT OTHER BY DOING THE FOLLOWING"

AUTHOR:

Drishti Varma

BFSI-2nd semester

49190413