Remote working in a time of pandemic

By Maritsa Grewe, issued by Milpark Education

24 Mar 2021

Since 2020, many organisations have found themselves waist-deep in uncharted waters, having to adapt to a new world of work which is filled with much uncertainty and complexities. We have seen how HR professionals have taken up their roles as change catalysts to support organisations, during a time when most staff are working from home.

Employees have reported that home is no longer where the heart is, but also now the office. Although a large proportion of the workforce prefer to work remotely for the rest of their careers, there are some challenges that HR professionals need to be aware of and manage.

Routley (2020:1) reports on the biggest struggles inherent in working remotely:

22% of workers reported that they struggled with separating life from work
20% with loneliness
17% struggled with collaboration and/or communication
10% of distractions at home
8% of time-zone differences in a team
8% of staying motivated
7% of problems taking vacation time
3% of struggles with reliable wifi and
5% of other factors

In the state of remote-working survey (2020), completed by 3500 remote workers from around the world, employees were concerned that their manager would not see the extent of their contributions if they were not working together in the office. A number of employees also reported that they had difficulty raising tough questions or flagging concerns. On the reverse side, a whopping 98% of workers stated that they preferred working from home.

If you want to learn about overcoming obstacles as mentioned above in being a HR professional, or want to learn more about becoming a strategic HR partner in a business, be sure not to miss enrolling for the Diploma in Humana Resource Management, NQF 5, offered by Milpark College. Visit our website (www.milpark.ac.za) now to register online or call our Student Services Department on 086 999 0001.

Bibliography

Routley, N. 2020. 6 charts that show what employers and employees really think about remote working. Available online: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/coronavirus-covid19-remote-working-office-employees-employers/ [Accessed 15 March 2021].

Buffer. 2021. The 2020 State of Remote Work. Available online: https://lp.buffer.com/state-of-remote-work-2020 [Accessed 15 March 2021].

Milpark Education was established in 1997, becoming one of the first private providers of higher management education in South Africa. Milpark services the higher education needs of various corporate entities as well as public students, through the qualification offerings of four schools: the School of Professional Accounting (incorporating CA Connect), the Business School; the School of Commerce; and the School of Financial Services. It currently offers 23 accredited programmes in higher education.