By Lakshmi Priya
Did middle managers ever imagine that their important jobs which mainly involves checking if people are sitting on their desks will be taken over by the coloured dots called status on MS Teams? Not in a thousand years, or so I thought. I for one thought technology will slowly eat the workforce starting from the bottom.
I recently read an opinion article on Bloomberg Asia titled “Five Days a Week in the Office? It’s Better for Everyone.” Could have been a paid advertisement by the real estate companies and upper management. The idea that people are not productive when they work remotely is outdated. In fact, many studies now show that working from home has improved not only productivity and performance, but also mental health and the environment.
Ever since I re-joined the workforce last September, I’ve been mostly working from home. I go into the office once every two weeks to socialise and keep in touch with colleagues. Personally, it’s the most exciting thing about re-joining the workforce. I get to set my work time schedule, I go for lovely walks in the afternoon, I sometimes cook a hot meal for lunch – like a sardine sambal and rice. Then, there is the saving money bit. I don’t wear make-up, expensive shoes, or even designer clothes. I have 5 sets of ‘work clothes’ that I only wear during meetings. The most liberating aspect is the commute. I wake up at 8.30am to start my work at 9am on most days. I don’t have to take a bus and then a train that is always full and sometimes delayed that will cost me a bomb and run late for meetings anymore.
This freedom and hassle-free environment has only made me a better employee. I can’t speak for the next generation, but I am thankful for working from home every single day. I put in more effort and I double the motivation to work because I want this model to sustain and I try to contribute to it as much as I can. It’s 1.40 pm now and I’m sitting on my bed after lunch having coffee in my PJs and writing this column. It is my dream that more and more people will be able to work from wherever they’re comfortable in – home, office, or Mars!
Lakshmipriya was born and raised in Perak, Malaysia and currently lives in London. Previously a Human Capital Consultant, she has worked in Malaysia and Dubai. She recently completed her PhD in Cognitive and Organizational Psychology in the UK. She has co-authored a book on talent management and is currently working on a paper that investigates the influence of sex differences when perceiving people. When not absorbed in academic research, Lakshmipriya enjoys Netflixing and cooking.
The views expressed here are that of the writer’s and not necessarily that of Weekly Echo’s.