If you are anything like me, you like the comfort of working from home. I love the concept of hybrid jobs and WFH jobs. If given the opportunity to permanently work from home, I’ll probably say yes without even thinking. But did you hear about Work From Home (WFH) before the pandemic? This isn’t a recent invention and was quite common in the west. Due to the lockdowns and then the company’s realizing the benefits of working from home, this trend has continued.
Even the Indian government has recently acknowledged the demand for work from home and the commerce ministry released new guidelines detailing provisions to ensure uniformity in the country for WFH policy across all Special Economic Zones (SEZs). The policy also covers employees of IT SEZ units; those who are temporarily incapacitated; employees who are travelling. With the option of extending WFH to a maximum of 50 per cent of total employees, including the contractual employees of the unit.
These announcements and the shift in the employees’ behavior towards WFH suggest that there are certain benefits attracting businesses to shift to this model.
If you are still confused if WFH is better or not, look at these advantages it offers:
1. No more traffic
Before the pandemic had hit us, we Indians were spending more time on our office commute than any other country in the world and according to an ET report, that constituted 7% of our day.
If people were doing Job vacancy in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru then that time commute time even increased. WFH reduces the need to leave early and commute and hence people can start work right on time without facing logistical delays.
2. Enhance productivity
When people don’t have to sit in meetings, stop and make small talk with colleagues then these small yet significant distractions make a big difference. Reducing such small breaks can increase focus and productivity. Companies can keep track of work done by employees remotely or set goals to be accomplished in a day to track performance.
3. Break barriers
When we get rid of office infrastructure and shift to WFH, we open up opportunities for many differently-abled people to become part of the workforce. According to an NSO report of 2019, about 2.2% of India’s population lives with some kind of physical or mental disability. So, rather than restricting individuals, WFH is increasing inclusivity and encouraging disabled people to live a life with dignity.
4. Spending more time with loved ones
You might be thinking that this point is certainly one of the reasons why people opt for WFH but how do these benefits companies. We all remember the old idiom of “All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy”. When all work and no family time happens then those conflicts reflect negatively on the work performance of employees. To avoid just that, post-pandemic- employees want either a hybrid job or a WFH job since they want to achieve that work-life balance.
Metro cities with the best internet connection and plenty of rejuvenating spots like cafes, parks and art galleries become ideal for employees to reside and work in. Jobs in Mumbai are in demand since Mumbai has a vibrant nightlife, is safe for women and offers plenty of other amenities.
Also check – Skills that help you to find best Jobs in Delhi
5. Bringing circadian rhythm to work
Since no supervisor or manager is looking at your cubicle like a hawk, you get to be your boss. WFH offers you the flexibility to create your schedule. People who are night owls can give better performance and those who are morning persons can log in while sipping their tea/coffee. This provides every member to work best according to his/her biological clock.
6. Zuckerberg-inspired wardrobe
Do you know what’s common between Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs? Apart from being people who were both college drop-outs, became CEOs of MNCs and wore a singular type of office outfit daily to work. They both realized the sheer amount of energy and time we wasted on looking for office outfits. WFH gives us that luxury of not bothering about what to wear to work and how we look daily and filling our wardrobe with items that we loathe to wear on weekends.
7. Become the next Greta Thunberg
I’m kidding WFH doesn’t encourage you to become like Greta, but it certainly helps the environment. When we don’t commute to work daily, we are saving precious fuels or fossil fuels which took millions of years to form. By reducing our carbon footprint, we reduce the melting of glaciers and possibly save something for the next generations.
If you are a Fresher, you realize the importance of global warming and climate change more than people born in the 70s or 80s, the best part of Fresher jobs is that they offer this flexibility to us.
8. Reduced Spendings = Extra savings
When we don’t go to the office, we don’t purchase Rs.250 coffee, nor do we go out and eat Rs.500+ lunches. Let’s not forget about the fuel which just eats away our salary. All this expenditure gets reduced and it helps increase our savings. Social media has possibly ruined us since whenever we step out of the house, we feel an urge to show off our lifestyle to people on Insta and end up splurging on things which we don’t need.
9. Adopt a healthier lifestyle
When we save commute time and get those extra hours by avoiding unnecessary trips and meetings, that gives us the perfect opportunity to adopt a lifestyle that accommodates working out and cooking meals at home rather than ordering take-out. These small changes can bring out big benefits.
10. Bring down operation costs
Start-ups were the first to adopt WFH or hybrid mode since it brings down operational expenses. Companies spend large sums of money on renting office space, purchasing office supplies, and paying utility bills. The money saved can be put to good use by planning team meetings or staff retreats. This also increases social interactions between team members and gives employees a chance to know their team members and seniors.
We live in the best times; technology has made it easier for people to be able to work across oceans and different time zones. WFH offers us plenty of benefits and switching to it is beneficial for both- employers and employees.
