Mixed feelings over resumption of work in the office

PETALING JAYA: As employees gradually return to offices with the pandemic coming to an end, some are still adamant about working from home.

There are even those who would rather resign than go back to the office. Others, however, felt either was acceptable.

A bank officer known as Jaabar said he was not willing to work in the office again, with lockdowns proving that work could go on as usual remotely.

“We have seen that current technology can sustain or even improve existing workflows.

“Similarly, there are tools to track productivity efficiently, which is usually a big concern among management,” he said.

Jaabar added that his workplace also recommended employees come in at least once per week, adding that those who did not do so had annoyed more traditional bosses.

An accountant, Kenneth, also said he was not willing to return to the office, although his company had asked employees to do so.

“I have tried to reason with my employers that working remotely did not result in any loss of productivity.

“This working style also rewards efficient employees who can do their own thing while remaining reachable,” he said, adding that working fully from the office was unnecessary if a team was able to function and deliver accordingly.

Public relations executive Fazilah Kamal, 29, said the lockdowns proved how employees were capable of performing despite working remotely.

The mother of two said working from home also allowed parents the flexibility to care for their children, adding that this was subject to one’s job’s demands.

Meanwhile, environmental consultant Cassandra Foo, 30, said although a flexible working policy was not something she was particular about, she liked the option of working from home.

“Our company worked remotely in the first few months of the movement control order in 2020, and has since adopted a hybrid approach where we come in only twice a week.

“All our projects are still going according to plan,” she said.

Operations manager Raymond Tan, 32, said his company has left it to employees to decide if they wanted to work from home or the office.

“There are times where we are required to come in, but usually we are told to work from home when cases increase.

“A steady drop in the number of cases will see the resumption of work in a hybrid format, with three days in the office,” he said.

Consultant and new mother Nadia Mohd Zain Ariffin, 26, said while working from home was appealing, she prefers to be in the office.

“It results in greater productivity levels all round,” she said, adding that her mother took care of her child while she was at work.