The Future of Work

The work from home trend started far before the Coronavirus outbreak. With rapid innovation, globalization and demographic shifts, our work environment is no longer what it was once before.

Because of the unexpected outbreak, social contact became a risk, offices were and still are shut down and working from home has become the norm. It wasn’t long ago when one of the challenges of this arrangement was staff reliability and accountability, however, companies have had to quickly learn to trust their employees to complete their job duties out of their workplaces. This unexpected experiment caused by the Coronavirus has been so well received by the workers and companies alike that some employers are considering adopting it as a more permanent measure. According to GWA and FlexJobs report back in 2017, the number of remote workers doubled since 2007, with almost 40% of surveyed US employers offering flexible workplace options.

Let’s examine what are the pros and cons of this seemingly new, albeit already well-established trend. First, let’s analyze the current workforce:
∙ Well-educated, with approximately 39% of the workforce holding a bachelor’s degree
∙ Less unionized, only 11% of employees are union members
∙ Includes more “Millennials”, a demographic that highly values workplace flexibility, a perk associated with greater happiness.

PROS

Flexible working hours

By implementing flexible working hours, a typical workday will be task-based rather than time-based. It allows people to work during their most productive time of day, wear comfortable clothes and create a work schedule that fits their lives.

Saves time and money

In a big city like Hong Kong, a work commute commonly takes at least an hour each direction. That is a full two hours of missed work! Of course, many people check their work emails and do begin to work during their commute, but the product is still lower compared to working with no distractions. Moreover, it is far more economical to work from home as it eliminates transportation, food and apparel expenses.

Work-life balance

The work-life balance is an important topic in our overworked population. Working from home leaves room to work out, see friends, or do other pleasurable activities during the standard 9 to 7 office hours. Consequently, workers become happier, less stressed. It is scientifically proven that fitness also improves cognitive performance. Fitter workforce will also have a more resilient immune system, which in turn will reduce absenteeism. All of this naturally leads to higher productivity.

CONs

No human interaction and collaboration

Many people enjoy working with others as working from home can be quite isolating. It’s harder to establish trust and develop relationships with colleagues and clients without daily face-to-face interactions. There are also less opportunities to learn from peers. You will also need to make an extra effort to seek out networking and learning opportunities on your own.

No switching off and time management

Having a flexible schedule and workplace arrangement comes at a cost. That extra hour taken to workout or for whatever personal activity during the day may lead to in time to work in the evening outside the “normal” working hours. The use of quick telecommunications makes it harder to shut down and may lead to working overtime.

Distractions and self-discipline

Working from home requires a different level of self-discipline. There may be other people around the house causing unwanted distractions, but the completion of the task is entirely your own responsibility as no one is monitoring your progress. Nowadays, there are many tools to help with work organization, and plenty of quiet co-working spaces with few distractions.

Where are we heading next?

Below are a few pointers on what to pay attention to in this changing work environment climate:
∙ Strong human resources team is a must. HR becomes even more important as it is crucial to find workers who are interested and able to adequately work from home. Especially when employments are becoming shorter — one of the Millennial traits.
∙Staff retainment will become an issue. It is important to develop clear career development paths to motivate company employees to continue to grow within the company.
∙ Companies will have to invest in technology, constantly updating remote tools and software as collaboration now relies more on video calling and online messaging platforms rather than face to face interactions.
∙ Real estate is less important as the need for physical space lessens, and interest in co-working spaces continues to grow. At Kapuhala Koh Samui, many of our guests are “working tourists”, continuing to work for the better part of the day surrounded by nature.

The number of people working from home is rising at an astonishing rate as we slowly unlock the new era of hyper mobility. Location is no longer a limitation, organizations like Trello, WordPress, Github, Buffer and many more are successfully working remotely. It is proven to be beneficial for cognitive performance and increased serotonin levels and renewed enthusiasm. If you work for an employer that requires you to work from home, you have to find a way to create a work environment at home that keeps you focused and just as productive as you would working at an office. If you are self-employed, discipline is key to making sure all tasks are done. When possible, bring your computer and try working in different locations for a renewed sense of accomplishment, it may expose you to new intellectual stimulus too.

The Coronavirus did not change anything, it simply accelerated what was going to happen anyway.