Telecommuting or working from home
is increasingly becoming popular in Kenya in the wake of the Coronavirus
outbreak.
Almost two weeks ago, Kenya
reported its first case of the global pandemic, since then the government has
urged citizens to work from home where possible.
Several companies have so far
allowed their staff to work away from the office in an attempt to contain the
spread of the highly contagious disease. However there is more than meets the
eye, your employer could actually be happy as you telecommute and here is why.
Financial benefits
One of the key benefits of working
from home is that it saves your employer money. Companies will now deploy
little or no financial resources to cater for office expenses like water and
electricity bills.
There is also no need to pay for office
supplies like stationery, newspapers and magazines. The company will also save
on other perks that come with working from the office like snacks or the daily
beverages (tea and coffee) which are mostly free or sometimes sold at a
subsidized rate.
Companies that pick up and drop off
their employees after work would also be relieved on not spending on fuel.
Transport conveniences
Working in urban areas is lucrative
but it comes with an almost inevitable challenge-traffic delays. In Nairobi for
example, traffic jams on major roads start from as early as 6 in the morning.
Beating the Nairobi traffic has limited options.
First is you can consider living
close to your workplace, which may sometimes be expensive especially if it is
situated in the CBD or its environs. If this option doesn’t favor you
economically then you have no choice but to wake up extremely early to beat the
morning traffic.
However, getting up early doesn’t
always guarantee that you will arrive early. So whether you hike a matatu or
drive your own car, time will always be consumed in one way or another, but
imagine working from home?
A person who works from home only
has to decide at what time they will wake up and start working. No time wasted
in commuting, no getting to work late, the result? A happy supervisor.
Higher morale and productivity
People with flexible work options
usually have higher morale, one tends to enjoy their responsibilities more when
they work away from a traditional office environment. This in turn impacts
positively on the quality of work and productivity.
Multiple studies have proven that
majority of employees who work from home tend to be more productive. For
instance, a 2-year Stanford study showed an astounding productivity boost
among telecommuters compared to their counterparts who worked from the office.
Your employer is therefore not
really worried on whether you will deliver on your targets, but don’t be
surprised if they make calls to check on your progress!
Less distraction
While working from the office has
its advantages it also it also has its downside and one of them is distractions
from fellow employees. This is partly because it is usually not easy to ignore
a colleague in an open office layout.
Some distractions, however useful
they may be always end up consuming your time. For example, someone may ask you
to pull a chair and review their report, your boss may constantly come to your
desk ensure you meet your deadlines and then there are just guys who want to
celebrate birthdays and anniversaries in the office!
Well, who needs all these
distractions especially when on a tight schedule? Telecommuting on the other
hand gives one the flexibility to control their work environment and avoid
unnecessary distractions.
As long as you manage distractions from home to meet your daily goals, your boss will be happy with your performance.
