CORONA TIMES AND INVADING CORPORATES

Silent Take-over?

Ever since 2020 dawned, world has been compulsively riveted to ‘covidian’ statistics - the infected, recovered and dead. Incidents of heroism, sacrifice and stupidity add realism and uncertainty to the emerging survival story. In its attempt to contain the pandemic through social distancing, the world locked itself down. To survive with minimal damages, organisations, that could remotely pursue business, took the ‘Work-From-Home’ (WFH) route, effectively taking over homes.  WFH keeps hopes alive but could soon be the new norm.

Irresistible Goldmine

Creating office Space at Home  

Irritable domestic disruptions notwithstanding, internet generally ensured seamless connectivity helping entities overcome restricted work-related movement, imposed by lock-down. Though organisations, especially production places mandating physical presence, reported loss of business, many where work could progress without such presence reported higher productivity. For many, especially IT related, it was ‘almost’ business-as-usual even with skeletal staffing. In addition to the unexpected savings in real estate and logistics costs, ‘lock-down’ provided, it also seems to have helped companies discover an irresistible goldmine - 24x7 willing WFH employees with their own real estate at no extra costs. This could trigger a ‘post-lockdown’ review of HR assets, pruning of rolls and redeployment of residual resources. Markets can also expect new paradigms in talent acquisitions and retention.

Spin-off and Trade-off

If crude oil price  is an indicator, world economy is in a tail spin and businesses will be devastated. In the ensuing bloodbath, companies will resort to drastic measures to stay afloat. Unprecedented unemployment would be the first manifestation. Sensing looming pink-slips, employees have become more productive during WFH, than ever before. If 24X7 captive workers and real estate savings are the beneficial spin-offs for organisations, employees could find themselves ending up in an unhealthy trade-off, surrendering personal life for job security. Fixed and flexi-timings could soon become ancient practices, as employees could find themselves tied to ‘any time’ schedules. Secure high-speed network and domestic workstation could soon become mandatory requirement for being hired. Once hired, bosses, colleagues and subordinates can virtually walk into the privacy of each other’s homes. Corporate invasion of private space would be complete. 

Sub-optimal Output 

Organisational activities are possible 24 X7. Application of individual’s physical and mental abilities without break, however sincere it may be, yields sub-optimal results. Shift systems and time limits were introduced to overcome this efficiency drop. Somehow, higher management, assuming indispensability, seems to have excluded itself from such consideration. Middle level follows suit and lower rungs relentlessly replicate rituals to remain relevant. 

Considering oneself superhuman to command astronomical compensations and accelerated career progression is acceptable. But everyone around is unfortunately bound by laws that define mortals. Fatigue is undeniably human and law of diminishing returns universally applicable. While ensuing uncertainty may keep employees endlessly logged in and force them to attend calls, apparently pleased, it will be naive to think that charades could be productive in the long run.

Organisations resorting to such practices, by design or inadvertently, is exploitative and not worth working for. Worthy assets would flee sooner or later for better pastures.

Work Space

“Work is worship”, the often-quoted proverb, lends sanctity to workplaces. Interpersonal work relationships are best developed at the workplace, uniform and insulated from home conditions. Differentials in work conditions, if any, are motivators. Time together, as a team helps develop bonding and unity of purpose, indispensable elements in evolving productive organisational culture. Despite reckonable short-term savings, WFH essentially erodes workplace dynamics and in the long run be injurious to the organisation.

Home – Nursery for Value Systems

Home is where employees recuperate between work shifts. It is where employee goes to return recharged for productivity. That is why great organisations go to great lengths to make family lives of their employees meaningful.

Homes, like workplaces, too have distinctive and sanctified identity. Irrespective of the locality, size and comfort levels, home is where values systems are sown. It is where customs, traditions and culture are nurtured. Tinkering with ‘home-atmosphere’ by inducing office into the four walls of the house has serious implications with unbearable future costs for the society. Such infringements can alter the way, children, the future generation, is raised. Adverse impact of parental absence from children is well documented. Bringing offices home, may physically place parents at home longer but effectively and perpetually steal parents from children.

Costs of Infringement

Managements are not legally responsible for creating well-balanced, just and productive society. But they certainly have an important role. Compensation to the employee is only a peripheral act of society building. Organisations may do well to remind itself that the very same children whose development they consciously impair today would either be their potential employees or clients. Companies must understand that businesses thrive most in just and happy societies.

Defining Paradigms

If businesses plan to continue with WFH, then there is a need to define parameters of the proposed paradigm, clearly enunciating socially acceptable terms of engagement. Individuals may be willing to compromise long-term societal needs out of sheer greedy ignorance, but organisations can ill afford to remain oblivious to societal needs.

Intention makes the difference.