Home or office, both have benefits

JOHOR BARU: Despite enjoying the comfort of working from home, corporate communication executive Ariff Mohammad Nizam had no qualms returning to the office last week.

“It is much easier for me to get my work done in the office as I have access to the necessary facilities such as printers, as well as important documents and reports to refer to.“On top of that, it is also easier for me to communicate with my colleagues when we are all sitting side by side, ” said the 29-year-old.

He began working from home (WFH) at the start of the movement control order period in January but has been back in the office since March 7.

Ariff said that while working from home did not affect his productivity level, he preferred to do his work in the office.

“Fortunately for me, I have a study desk in my room, giving me a conducive environment. However, that may not be the case for most people who would have had to make do with whatever space they have at home.

“Some of my colleagues had to bring home computers from the office as they did not have a laptop or desktop computer at home, ” he said.

However, Ariff, who travels between Pontian and Johor Baru for work, conceded that working from home meant that he could avoid the hassle of commuting.

“It takes me about one and a half hours to drive from my house to the office. It should only take half an hour but because of the traffic, I have to spend an extra hour on the road.

“The best part about working from home was to not have to face the stress of driving through slow traffic, ” he said.

For temporary assistant G. Thivia, WFH meant more “me time” as she was spared the long hours of commuting to the office.

Thivia, 25, has been working from home since March last year.

“Previously, it would already be dark when I reached home. I would be too tired to do anything after driving home from the office.

“Now, I get to slot in some exercise sessions after finishing my work at home. I also have time to have a proper breakfast, ” she said.

It also meant she could save on petrol expenses.

She said her productivity level had not been affected despite having to work from home for close to a year.

“There are certainly downsides to working from home and that includes not having access to facilities such as printers or photocopy machines. I would usually go to my office once a week to print documents.

“It is also easier to communicate when we need to have face-to-face discussions with our boss or colleagues, ” she added.

She said she hopes that once the Covid-19 pandemic is brought under control, companies would allocate a schedule for working from home as well as in the office.