[yamaniac]

I work in the IT sector, And WFH has improved my productivity a lot.
There is no one to breathe down your neck. No traveling, don't have to get dressed up for the office. No Unnecessary meetings. I get to eat food cooked at home.

I can say that the advantages have overridden the disadvantages for me.

But I do miss the drive to the office. and small chit chats with colleagues. But quality family time has increased. Life suddenly isn't that stressful anymore.

If we look at it from the perspective of the company, They sure will save a lot on premises rent and maintenance. Electricity bills, stationery, internet etc. So I guess its a big win for them too. I think WFH is here to stay in my opinion.

[ROG_AK]

I have always dreaded WFH and now it has become a reality, unfortunately. In a creative industry like ours (making games), WFH is just not feasible. Since we have no option, we are trying to make it work somehow but the productivity has dropped. On the flip side, more people are playing games so it's kind of a curse and blessing in disguise.

[srishiva]

I think companies should look at a target of having 25% people working from home. Or have 25% less work space in offices. Having a permanent seat in office is not required in most cases.

I think the only thing that prevents this is the attitude of both employers and employees and the managers who want to behave like lords.

I live far away from my ORR office. I did mostly WFH and the same thing continues now. Sometimes face to face interactions are good for some critical issues which can be accomplished as needed. Again companies should pro-actively work towards accomplishing this. It saves a lot of travelling, pollution, adds flexibility and might even improve employee satisfaction.

[kit_dennis]

The WFH in the current situation is different from WFH during normal times. Because there is a lock-down. All non-essential activities are shut including cinema halls, pubs, visiting friends/relatives, shopping other than groceries etc.

Since you cannot go outside of home, people spend more time working, hence the productivity might have increased. But it might not be the case when we slowly limp back to (new)normalcy where you will have other interesting things or chores to do.

[sam_babushka]

WFH is being consistently used by MNCs in developed economies to keep costs under control. I work for an MNC, and our India office does not have the concept of WFH, whereas my counterparts in London, Zurich, Paris and even Dubai, are encouraged to WFH. It is a matter of time before it becomes a norm in our country too, probably in the next half a decade or so.

WFH is used to keep overhead costs (rent, electricity, maintenance, taxes) under control overseas

[varman742]

WFH is mandatory as of now for most of us and there is no choice. Hence we don't have an option but to like this way of working. We all realize that there is no point in cribbing about cons of WFH at the same time there is nothing to boast about the pros of the same. The fact is that our jobs are at stake if we don't work.

After the lockdown is over and virus is under control, our thought process will evolve. The pros may no longer be lucrative and there will be options to deal with cons.

My company is reporting that WFH has increased the productivity! But this is when EVERYONE is WFH. Need to see whether it will be the same once things return to normal.

I prefer going to office, at-least for few days a week if not everyday.

[RD150]

For people working in core manufacting sector, WFH is more or less a holiday. I have been working from home since 22nd March, and I must say I am only working on NVA activities. This is fine for 15-20 days, beyond that this is going to be difficult. In short, WFH is not at all feasible for engineers/employees supporting assembly/manufacting departments.

[RMN]

It isn't going to increase drastically, at least in the IT sector because the concerns that organizations use to have all this while still exists such as:

Will the resource work efficiently?
Will the resource be responsible?
Will it be difficult to contact the resource?

Remember, there are still people in this industry who barely have a good internet connection.

We don't have anything else to do at the moment hence WFH will be more effective. It's hard to expect everyone to not be distracted when they are free to travel and do whatever they like.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by yamaniac

I work in the IT sector, And WFH has improved my productivity a lot.
There is no one to breathe down your neck. No traveling, don't have to get dressed up for the office. No Unnecessary meetings. I get to eat food cooked at home.
....
I think WFH is here to stay in my opinion.

I totally agree but many of my colleagues don't.

For a person like me who is single or my boss who has teenaged kids, WFH has been fairly painless. But the same may not be true for the folks with small kids, especially where both the husband and wife work. In fact, many in my office are complaining and saying they are overstressed.

Another thing that is different in the current situation is that everyone is working from home and are proactively overcommunicating and mindful of others' timezones. But I've not seen that happening when you are the only person WFH. Many discussions happen informally and decisions are made but the person sitting at home is left out.

So, I don't think the companies would immediately start adapting WFH in a big way.

[DudeWithaFiat]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

But the same may not be true for the folks with small kids, especially where both the husband and wife work. In fact, many in my office are complaining and saying they are overstressed.

Another thing that is different in the current situation is that everyone is working from home and are proactively overcommunicating and mindful of others' timezones. But I've not seen that happening when you are the only person WFH.

.

They feel stressed probably because the schools aren't open because of the Lockdown. I WFH once a while and has always found it more productive, but the WFH during the lockdown is very different since my 4 years old daughter does not have her school and wants someone to keep her engaged and play with.

Many employees fall into a lazy and relaxed mode when they get to WFH only once a while. Like an unexpected holiday. It will change when the WFH is for a prolonged period.

Companies can give the employees the option to chose whether to WFH or come to office. Some employees like myself, does more when Working From Home. Let the employees choose what the best for them.

[landcruiser123]

I believe in the human touch- physical presence and body language make a big impact on building relationships and conveying your message to fellow colleagues. I'd say WFH should be allowed (and encouraged), but it'd be nice to see people in the office once a while.

As a young professional, I'd work from home once a week from now. I still like:
1. Interesting coffee room conversations with people
2. My bicycle commute (8+8 miles)
3. Some free food which is available occasionally

Originally Posted by bluevolt

PS - What we will do with our cars if there is no office and 100% WFH? Not all go out on long drives every weekend or so.

They don't necessarily need to be used all the time. If you don't commute everyday, you might find time to do chores on weekdays- hence drive on weekends.

[Fordlover88]

I work in an electricity distribution utility & our works are mostly site based. Though we fall under emergency services and are exempted from lockdown, we are doing work from home as much as possible. It was a completely new experience for me but i have started adapting to it. Given the current scenario where normalcy is far away, i think work from home will gradually gain popularity in our sector as well. Even after this fiasco is over, work from home will stay for say one or two days a week.

[GeeTee TSI]

A particularly interesting viewpoint on work-from-home from a sustainability angle from the BBC

As someone whose line manager as well as many stakeholders based out of different locations, I was anyway having virtual calls from within my cubicle and nothing much has changed. However, I feel privacy is certainly an issue in apartments with windows adjacent to one another.

That said, given the paranoia around air-conditioned environs, wonder how most of the centrally air-conditioned officers are looking at the post lockdown scenario!

[efgritesh]

Unfortunately this sudden lockdown didn't gave me opportunity to get a proper workstation.
I think may be once lockdown is over, first thing I am going to is invest in a proper home working setup. It certainly is lots of benefits in terms of less traffic on road, less stress, more time etc.
I am sure lot of you will agree with me that with a better workstation lot of cons of WFH will disappear.
Let's free up our roads for pleasure drives, work can be done from home where possible.

[sdp1975]

What CFOs think of WFH post Corona :

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/bu...d-5124681.html