Need for work-from-home regulations

THE acronym “WFH” has become a catchword for, and reality of, working from home. For nearly a year, a large number of Malaysians have been glued to their electronic devices for work and play in their homes due to the movement control order put in place to control the spread of Covid-19.

Apart from a fast, reliable Internet connection for WFH, there is another requirement that is equally important but which has not yet received much attention: the need to ensure proper safety and health of the frequent, even obsessive, users of electronic devices and the plethora of apps that are changing the way we conduct our lives. These include psychosocial issues like social isolation, loneliness, stress, anxiety, depression and fatigue. These have a direct and profound impact on a person’s mental health. Even physical health is at risk with back and joint pains, repetitive strain injury and sleep deprivation among the potential problems.