The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a query that may have been unthinkable a number of years in the past: do we actually have to be within the workplace on a regular basis?
On the peak of the pandemic, working remotely was seen as a safeguard, defending staff from the unfold of infections. Over time a consensus has developed that working remotely has had advantages however has additionally raised well being issues.
To offer some solutions to the query, I did analysis on the expertise of working remotely from the angle of 23 feminine center managers working within the South African public service.
It was clear that distant work had optimistic and adverse elements.
On the optimistic facet, working remotely supplied flexibility. Staff might steadiness particular person and work duties. This gave them some freedom and autonomy. In essence, work-life steadiness was considerably promoted.
One participant, a human useful resource supervisor, mentioned:
Throughout the peak of the pandemic, I might spend extra time connecting with different aspects of my life outdoors work. I might learn extra at dwelling. Do some gardening. Even join extra with the world round me. Sure I obtained to do some work however I additionally managed to do issues I couldn’t do beforehand.
On the adverse facet, the ladies mentioned they skilled a blurring of labor boundaries and an extension of their workplace hours.
Primarily based on the findings, I make three suggestions for managing the draw back of working remotely. First, organisations might have to supply worker assist; an necessary a part of that is to belief their workers. Second, coverage round distant working could have to be in place and bolstered. Such coverage must strike a steadiness between getting the work executed and respecting the person rights of staff. Lastly, a tradition of open communication could be helpful on either side to realize this. This contains setting targets and addressing misconceptions round working remotely.
The upside
The feminine managers within the research extolled the work-life steadiness that distant work can supply.
The managers praised distant working as reducing again pointless time spent in visitors whereas commuting to work. They may spend extra time with household and take note of private wellness actions resembling going to the health club.
Distant working additionally had the potential to reinforce the standard of relationships, because of the bodily presence at dwelling.
One other participant, an accounting supervisor, mentioned:
I feel distant working additionally saved my marriage. My companion and I are appreciative of being in professions the place we will work remotely. This assisted each of us to work in the identical room at dwelling. Such time was simply the bond we wanted. Bear in mind in every week we often spent half of the week on the workplace earlier than the pandemic. It was fantastic to make money working from home not only for the work facet but additionally our relationship.
However the analysis additionally revealed that distant working posed some challenges.
The draw back
Three most important issues emerged. First, regardless of viewing distant working as a chance, organisational will didn’t exist to see it via. There gave the impression to be blended emotions in organisations, to assist or to not assist distant working.
Second, for some managers, managing individuals remotely was not a possible possibility. This was largely as a result of notion that for one to be an efficient supervisor some type of bodily presence was wanted. The bodily presence issue for these managers served as a type of surveillance, a capability to watch that work was really being executed. Such a administration method created ranges of suspicion and rendered distant working ineffective.
Thirdly, the managers in my research expressed concern across the extension of the working hours. Distant working distorted the boundaries of labor and compelled staff to be obtainable at any time. This included receiving work-related calls at odd hours. Some staff felt that going to the workplace protected them from being bothered after work hours.
A participant noticed:
The organisational construction inside the South Africa public service continues to be that one among command and management. This works properly inside bodily areas. With working from dwelling that command and management manifests within the extreme calls. Somebody can name you late at evening. That was salient nightmare for distant working for me.
What ought to be executed
The findings of this analysis present there’s a want for nuanced organisational responses to distant working.
First, organisations ought to search to assist staff the place distant working is in place. They could want insurance policies to information such modes of working.
Second, staff have a duty to talk out. Whereas there’s a have to be productive in organisations, this could not come via violation of particular person rights. There could be no flexibility to the expression of particular person rights.
Third, the findings present the necessity for funding in coaching and assist companies round distant working. This will likely embrace psycho-social assist for workers who could also be fighting coping with elements associated to distant working. Additional, organisations must put money into {hardware} and software program assist that enhances the distant working expertise.
