by BERNAMA / pic by BLOOMBERG

WORK from home (WFH) should not be considered an option or temporary solution due to the pandemic, but a new age practice at the workplace.

Multimedia University Faculty of Applied Communication lecturer Adlene Aris said flexible schedules and remote working seems like an ideal arrangement for enhanced productivity, and a balanced work-life that would have positive impacts on employees’ physical and mental well-being.

“We have the Gen Zs coming into the industry in a few years to come, this is the generation that is currently going through online classes with never-ending online submissions and discussions with their lecturers and peers, even their internships are done remotely from home during the pandemic.

“Although I might not speak for all educators out there, I am impressed with the quality of work they produce albeit the teaching and learning process is done online. Hence, Gen X and the millennials are responsible for this change, so that Gen Zs and the generations after that can appreciate a better work culture,” she said in an article published in the Thoughts column by Bernama.com.

But in Asia, she said, experts believe that Asians are not quite ready for WFH practices.

“The two common setbacks are the slow Internet connection and suspicious managers who do not trust their employees.

“The latter is a mutual grumble among many employees from all over Asia, typically among the younger generations who have long-anticipated flexible working hours and remote working, even before the pandemic happened,” she said.

Adlene added that the common Malaysian employee works for five days a week, nine hours a day, with a one-hour lunch break and that is frustrating for many workers.

“Not only do they have to face long hours at the office, they too at times have to bear the long commute to work and back home. Typically, work-life balance is non-existent in Asian countries.

“Our long-held belief in long working hours equals high productivity and organisations’ trust issues towards employees are the two general reasons why flexible working hours and WFH are frowned upon in the working culture,” she said.