SNA Opinion: Don't tell my boss, but I could get used to working at home

The most important things for some employers would be to ensure that employees have a reliable internet connection, a laptop to work on and a phone to keep in touch. (Salifa Karapetyan, Seychelles News Agency)

(Seychelles News Agency) - Working at home because of COVID-19 has been a challenge -- but it might be one I could get used to.

Millions of people around the world have had to work at home the last several months, and this has people everywhere wondering: Could I do this all the time? Do we really need so many offices? 

During my former office-going life, I would wake up at 5.30 am. Driving to and from work cost me two hours per day. This time could be used to develop a set of skills or hobby, or to mend that broken cabinet door.

Working from home would allow me more time with my child. I would be able to spend more time over breakfast with him.I'd drop and pick him up from school, and I wouldn't have to worry about where he is immediately after school before I arrive home.

I imagine that working from home would be less stressful, more productive and I'd have a better focus on the task at hand. Why? There won't be any in-office distractions such as the going in and out of co-workers, or them interrupting your line of thought.

Working remotely would mean more flexibility in one's schedule. We all have responsibilities and obligations outside of our full-time job, some of which we cannot attend to because it clashes with our working schedule. Now, imagine a world where you'd be able to get more done – professionally and personally – as you will be in control of how you set your schedule.

Working from home does present itself with some challenges. It can get lonely, especially if you were used to being in the company of co-workers every day. This does not mean that you don't have to keep in touch, be it face to face or over the phone.

Not having face-to-face conversations might also lead to misunderstandings and miscommunication, though this challenge could be fixed by a video call. That'll be a good way to hold morning debriefing meetings as well.

What would this mean for the environment?

I understand that not everyone would be able to work from home, but how great would traffic be if we removed even 20 percent of commuters from the road? Less traffic equals less pollution.

Benefits are not limited to workers but extend to the employer as well.

Having less or no staff in the office means that there won't be a need for large office spaces or none at all. What about company utility bills and maintenances? Yes, they'll go down too. The most important things for some employers would be to ensure that employees have a reliable internet connection, a laptop to work on and a phone to keep in touch.

Afterthought

Working from home might not be suitable for everyone but some sort of flexibility could be guaranteed to an employee, taking into account that at the end of the day, the work that needed to be done is done. Staying in touch with superiors and providing adequate feedback should be a must when a company writes its policies. Maybe the ideal working condition could be a combination of working in the office and working at home.