Harnessing WFH

(Second of four parts)

T he advantages of working from home (WFH) are myriad. The peace of mind that comes with less risk of contracting COVID-19, along with fewer commutes, allows employees to focus more on their tasks, increasing individual satisfaction, and thus productivity, across the board. The flexibility of WFH is also attractive to young people, most of whom view WFH as an invaluable perk today.

There is another benefit to WFH: financial savings from less use of office space, supplies and utilities. Before the pandemic, recreation retail giant REI was all set to move to its new swanky headquarters. But after the lockdown, it decided to sell the site to Facebook, and now allows WFH for employees.

“In the pandemic, we had to close stores and we had to beef up our online system,” says M, the head of a family retail business in Pasay. “We lost sales, but we trimmed a lot of expenses. In the end, we still had net gain, plus loyal and happy employees. Even if I was not breathing down their necks, most employees still delivered more than before. The few who slacked off—we let them go.”

“Just because you are physically present in the office does not mean that you are productive,” he continues. “Before the pandemic, some employees took extended lunch and merienda (snack) breaks even while in the office.”

Having said that, studies show that for extroverts, WFH is not ideal, and may contribute to loneliness and depression. Thus, during lockdown, M’s company held virtual parties for employees, not just for meeting targets, but also for birthdays, Halloween, Easter, Christmas, with fast-food meals delivered to employees.

WFH cannot, at this point, be done by front-liners in certain professions, such as surgeons, manufacturers, supermarket workers. WFH also does not work well for workers who face numerous distractions at home, especially child care. On the other hand, many employees value WFH because they can keep an eye on their parents, who in turn are helping care for their apo (grandchild).

In the Philippines, the biggest problem facing WFH is still owner and management distrust, particularly in traditional family businesses, even those which claim to be professionalized. Usually, these businesses equate productivity with presence in the office, whether or not employees are truly focusing on their tasks.

My student T, a top graduate, was working for a well-known conglomerate when the pandemic hit. “The company’s founder was reputed to be always present in the office, rain or shine, so we were told to do the same. But he never had to deal with a pandemic! I caught COVID two times in the office, and now I suffer from long COVID. My mother was so worried that she told me to look for another job. Today, I work in a smaller company with a hybrid schedule. The bosses are more trusting, so I willingly give more than what is expected. Most important, I feel better despite long COVID. I feel saner.”

New York Times reported that a senior executive at the online tutorial company Chegg, right after the lockdown, micromanaged his employees. But when he backed off, employees felt more empowered and did better-quality work.

As discussed last week, studies show that most WFH employees do not slack off, contrary to what managers believe. Even so, this ambiguous situation is readily addressed—employee evaluations have to be based on concrete results, not on physical office presence. If workers are still as productive with WFH, then it works for them. Employees with WFH need to be on call at all times during usual office hours (they cannot use the time to go to the mall or take extended lunch breaks). They need to submit requirements on time. They still need to handle clients (many of whom prefer online versus in-person calls)—in fact, many managers report handling more clients now that traffic jams are no longer a problem with WFH. They need to still be in touch with their teams, while empowering the latter to work even more effectively.

“As long as employees continue bringing in money for the company,” says M, “we will continue WFH.” INQ

(To be continued next week)

Queena N. Lee-Chua is on the board of directors of Ateneo’s Family Business Center. Get her print book “All in the Family Business” at Lazada or Shopee, or e-book at Amazon, Google Play and Apple iBooks. Contact the author at bless [email protected].