Working remotely can have many benefits for employees but is not all rosy. Here are some tips to maintain your well-being while working from home, and how you can prepare your workplace post COVID-19.

1. Working from Home Tips and
Post COVID-19 Workplaces:
Is Your Workspace Ready for Return to Work?

2. Working from Home & Covid-19: What’s Changed?
Amidst the current crisis, we are likely to look back and see
2020 as an inflection point in human development. The fast
emergence of the COVID-19 virus has suddenly changed our
society norms and the global economy. What things will
ultimately look like is anybody’s guess, depending on how
long the pandemic lasts. A recent report says that the
pandemic will probably be around for two years. The new
normal we are all waiting for will only start to emerge when
around 60% of the world population has immunity. And the
longer it goes on, the deeper and more long-lasting the
impact is.

3. The indiscriminate spread of the virus from human to
human contact can so far only be controlled by social
distancing. Lockdowns and shelter in place orders around
the globe have forced both employees and employers to
scramble to put in place WFH (working from home)
arrangements. On 29th March, almost all public and private
sector employees were told by the UAE government that
they must work from home to help contain the spread of
the novel COVID-19. The government issued new WFH
guidelines for office workers. The lockdown forced both
companies and employees to scramble to maintain business
continuity and productivity. On 22nd April 2020, the
lockdown orders were eased but many companies still keep
a significant portion of their employees working remotely.
And we expect to see this scenario even after the lockdown
is lifted completely.

4. Working from Home is New for Some
Work from home has been around for decades. Increasing in popularity
as various connectivity and productivity tools, such as broadband,
mobile broadband, virtual meeting platforms and improved IT security
have developed. WFH has long been considered as a way to enhance
employee well-being by providing more flexibility, as well as a way to
cut down on transportation time and costs and to reduce a company’s
carbon footprint – it has now become the only way many businesses
have been able to keep running. The Dubai Future Foundation predicts
that in the long-term, remote working will become “the new norm”
throughout the UAE. According to a recent article in the National,
before Covid19, the UAE had one of the lowest remote working
participation rates globally. Only 10% of workers reported working from
home 1-2 days per week compared to the global average of 62%. In the
space of a few months, the majority of office employees in the
Emirates have transitioned to WFH.

6. Working from Home Benefits & Challenges
Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, many companies were
promoting WFH arrangements. Recent research from the Harvard
Business School has shown that companies with remote working
policies:
• Boost their productivity
• Reduce their turnover
• Lower their operational costs
Read the full article to learn more about the benefits and
challenges of working from home.