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Welcome to BASK articles, where we will be sharing tips and tricks, as well as, news and information from around the world.
The Evolution of The Work from Home Revolution
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In an (un)expected turn of events, working from home has grown from a cool new fad to an undisputable lifestyle that everyone has to adapt to. With the influence of rapid technological advancements boosted by a global pandemic, remote work is now more common and ever. However, things were not always this way.
The Beginnings of Working from Home
One of the very first mainstream companies to pioneer working from home is IBM. In 1979, the company started a simple experiment of allowing just 5 employees to work from home. The experiment yielded positive results as employees no longer needed to use precious office space just to do work that could be done remotely. By 1983, an estimated 2000 IBM employees were working from home. Fuelled by the invention of personal computers, the internet, and Wi-Fi, remote work grew in the 80s and 90s. Decades later, in 2018, IWG reported that 53% of the world population works from home for at least half the week. Despite these facts and figures, it is no secret that there still was deep skepticism concerning remote work. Locally, working remotely was most commonly used for cross border teams who had no choice but to telecommute in order to get work done. Other than Skype, which was used to connect with loved ones overseas, and Discord which was used in the gaming community, virtual communication tools were obscure and virtually unheard of. Having the option to work from home was an employee benefit that was “good to have” for companies. A flexible work option that could boost a company’s attractiveness, maybe.
The Tipping Point, The Zoom Boom
Come 2020 and the world was helplessly thrusted into working remotely. With the pandemic making its rounds globally, the option to work from home was now a “must have” for companies who wanted to survive. The earlier stages of this remote working were categorised by the unfamiliarity of the practice. Many were unsure of how to use virtual conferencing tools and systems, and even more were ill-equipped to start working remotely. Virtual conferencing tools saw a rise in users and companies churned out tutorials on how to make use of these tools. Amongst buying baking supplies to make yet another batch of banana bread, individuals bought earphones, monitors, and microphones for their home offices. When a few months slowly turned into a few quarters, working remotely became the new way of working. Employees were now used to working from home and using a virtual conferencing tool was now as easy as making banana bread. Companies had also started to explore the benefits of remote work. Past barriers of working from home had been overcome and the practice seemed to bore amazing benefits such as productivity gains and a better work life balance. However, all good things must come to an end. As the pandemic drew out, 2021 saw employees contracting severe cases of Zoom fatigue. The lull period for remote work began as restrictions were gradually lifted and more employees were able to return to the office. The novelty of remote work fizzled out for most and getting onto a virtual call was both dreadful and draining.
Now is Here to Stay
After all is said and done, much to the delight and dismay of many, working from home is here to stay. Less than a week ago, employees locally were ordered to work from home again due to tightened Covid-19 restrictions. Deloitte has also estimated that a potential 50 million jobs could switch to remote work across the ASEAN-6 countries.
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So, what now? BASK recommends these 3 tips to help you soothe your Zoom weary soul:
Invest in good quality chair
Afterall, a chair is essentially your bed at work. Consider one with good back support and properly designed armrests to help support your upper arms and neck.
Change your working area
Change your working area. There is no harm in working at a different desk in your house for just a few hours. The change in scenery and environment will help to bring back the novelty and excitement of working from home, provided the working area is just as conducive.
Bring back "pantry talk"
Find ways to bring back “pantry talk”. Rather than waiting silently for colleagues to enter a virtual call, spend the time catching up and having informal break room chats. Fostering and participating in an office community goes a long way in brightening up a long workday.
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"Working from home does not mean you lose the sense of professionalism. It means you have to create a warm work environment to become more productive than ever." – HQTS Group Ltd
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Regardless of technological growth and global pandemics, the work from home revolution is something that all must face up to. The key is to find solutions that work for the industry and job that one is in. Afterall, only the right key will unlock the gridlocked pendulum that is working remotely.
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If your company is struggling with working from home, feel free to contact us at general@baskgts.com to find out more about digital workplace and change management.
