INNOVATION
Working From Home : Is This A Myth Or A Practical Solution ?
By Eugene Wanekeya
So , our good president recently made a bold move by partially opening up the country after over three months of cessation of movement in and out of among others , two of our main cities and major economic hubs that is , Nairobi and Mombasa , due to the Covid-19 pandemic . This move was hailed from some quarters and criticized from others , with the main bone of contention being , should the country prioritize its health or its wealth ?
The honest truth is that I personally would not want to be in a position where I am making such a critical decision for others because it is a perfect illustration of the famous saying by Lorenzo Dow , “ you will be damned if you do , and you will be damned if you don ’ t .”
It is one of those scenarios where there is no right move because shutting down Kenya ’ s economy will ultimately negatively affect the citizens ’ wellbeing whereas , reopening the economy will definitely result in the spread of Covid-19 therefore still negatively affecting the citizens ’ wellbeing .
Anyway , before I digress further , let me get back on track with this piece . Kenya ’ s corporate sector has been seriously crippled by Covid-19 , as the safety guidelines that have been put in place to curtail its spread means that organizations cannot function normally .
Companies that already had a work from home policy in place for their staff have had a leg up over others because they have continued their operations with minimal disruptions , whereas those that prioritized the physical presence of staff in their offices have struggled , with a significant number shutting down or laying off a sizeable percentage of their personnel .
It is noteworthy that not all professions can support remote working therefore this piece is solely meant to be applicable to organizational functions that do not require employees ’ physical presence in the office as they can be able to deliver on their job description from anywhere , provided they have access to their company ’ s systems from a secure environment .
In saying so , one of the biggest errors that companies continue to make when adopting work from home policies , is the presumption that working from home simply entails giving employees remote access to company systems so that they can flexibly perform their tasks from
The reality is that most employees are not likely to be as productive when working from home as they would have been when working from the office environment , owing to the many distractions at home - kids , spouse , entertainment , and friends among others , that they would typically not have access to in the office . any location such as the comfort of their homes . Unfortunately , this is one of the reasons why working from home ends up turning into a myth .
The reality is that most employees are not likely to be as productive when working from home as they would have been when working from the office environment , owing to the many distractions at home - kids , spouse , entertainment , and friends among others , that they would typically not have access to in the office .
Any company that seeks to ensure that its employees remain productive even as they work from remote locations such as their homes , needs to consider a number of key factors , most of which are the company ’ s responsibility and not the employees as is currently presumed . For any work from home policy to move from being a myth into being a practical business solution , it will require a very significant level of proactivity by a company .
A Good Remote Working Policy
Please indulge me for a bit , as I briefly delve into some key components of a good work from home policy .
The first key component has to be the working environment . Employers must always remember that even though the employee is working from home , it is still company time . The onus is therefore on the employer to ensure that their employee has a conducive working environment free from distractions to spur productivity . Employers should proactively work with their employees and help them set up a proper remote working environment as
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