Several organizations have been facing a downside ever since the lock-down has been imposed, in terms, of letting their employees work from home.
However, some multinational corporations had already introduced the idea of working from home for their employees. There exist a few companies that completely thrive on their workforce working from home like ScrapingHub, CleverTech, etc.
Organizations whether small/medium or large scale - always have employees whose personal lives differ from each other completely. A single person living alone could be able to focus better while at home, whereas someone living with their family could find it hard to focus while their kids are always running around the house.
Sometimes, working from home can be tricky for people in departments. Especially those that have to handle a lot of paperwork.
Disadvantages:
Our Administration Officer shares that she been working on more structure planning. She also adds that she has discovered better use of our internal platforms during her work-at-home period, there is a major disadvantage of not being able to physically handle some paperwork.
Another downside of working from home could be faced by people that have customized workstations. For example, our video editors are facing a lack of equipment from home. Some software can only be handled by a supercomputer for optimum performance. Our machines at the office are well equipped to handle our workflow. However, working on laptops on that software can be problematic and can slow down processes.
Although everything has its advantages and disadvantages; our General Manager says that a major downside to working from home is, 'Sometimes it's better to be physically in front of someone to make sure that they fully understand the situation'.
Communication is the key to a perfect workflow and staying-at-home can always disrupt communication due to changes in personal timetables of each employee. 'Some people have to create a new routine while being at home, so it's a little bit harder for them to get into the flow which is a disadvantage until they get a hold of it', says our General Manager.
Advantages:
Our Social Media Coordinator explains that he is happier with his workstation at home, which he has customized to his preference. However, he mentions that a major disadvantage for him is the lack of motivation. 'No team members are around and I am the only one working in my house', says he. Trying to focus while working at home while the rest of our family is not, can be slightly demotivating.'
In other cases, some people could also enjoy working from home because it helps them to reconnect with their families. 'I get to be close to family', says our Head of Creative and Digital. He also adds that he hasn't faced any disadvantages from working at home so far. Our General Manager believes that working from home has allowed him to focus more since there are fewer interruptions.
Our IT System Administrator has some similar thoughts about the situation. 'In my department, my time is never related to office hours. Sometimes if I have to update the website or move the domain, I have to do this at midnight. This is perfect for me when I work from home'. He also mentions that his favorite part of being at home is the time flexibility as he can choose his working hours of the day without any disruptions.
In my case, I have found that working from home has its pros and cons. The cons that I face are lack of equipment at home which are easily available at the office - making it easier for me to work, learn something new and even experiment. The pros, however, are plenty. I get to create my schedule. I get to work while laying down (can you imagine how awkward that would look at the office?) and most importantly, I get to work in my pyjamas.
What advantages and disadvantages do you face while working at home? Let us know in the comments below.
