Should working from home become the norm?

Sleeping in, working in one’s pyjamas and not having to concern oneself with wearing makeup or deodorant may sound like an ideal work day. According to Vallorani (n.d.), however, in order to be successful and productive, dressing well and practising good hygiene results in better levels of confidence and makes us feel more powerful - even in front of a computer screen.

Besides the danger of becoming too comfortable, social interaction in the workplace is a valuable asset to our everyday lives; Millet (2004) suggests that the close relationships that are forged in the work environment are due to the daily that we have with our colleagues. Employees use one another’s strengths and weaknesses to build on and collaborate intentionally and incidentally when embarking on projects and tasks. For individuals with full-time jobs, working from home can result in isolation, lower social skills, and physical and mental health issues. Although many individuals

find remote working convenient, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Despite technology being increasingly more accessible, a balance between independent work and social interaction needs to be regained.

The COVID-19 pandemic opened up a new world of possibilities fo

r employees and business owners worldwide (Tronco Hernández et al., 2021). Technology allowed human beings to stay connected and it quickly became apparent that productivity could be maintained in spite of one’s physical absence from the office (Kylili, 202). The novelty, however, has worn off and as the pandemic has begun to have less of an impact on society, the need to remain socially distant has diminished too. This has resulted in many employees now choosing to stay home or work remotely instead of commuting to their workplace; they have become used to the convenience of not having to make an effort to look presentable or employ transport to physically go to work (Kylili, 2020).

The obesity rate in Africa has increased since 2019, according to the World Health Organisation (n.d.); in an already overweight continent, African children and adults are now less physical due to the inactivity which was a direct result of lockdown. Hernández et al. (2021) explains how individuals who are working from home are living a

sedentary lifestyle, exercising less, drinking more alcohol and eating more food. All of these components contribute to lower productivity and have a negative impact on the mental health of those concerned. Although Tronco Hernández et al. (2021) mention some positive adaptations due to Covid-19, including the ability to save money on commuting and having more time with one’s family, Kohill (2018) suggests that interactive, in-person employee relationships are crucial for overall personal wellbeing. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (McLeod, 2022)

reminds us of the importance of feeling a sense of belonging. It helps us to remain motivated and promotes our overall happiness. This is nearly impossible to achieve when only interacting with our coworkers on an online platform, as aspects such as body language, facial expressions and gestures do not feature in employees’ interactions with one another (Skillsyouneed.com, 2022).

In spite of the advancement in technology, which makes it easy for humans to work remotely, it should not be the norm for them to do so. Physical and mental health can be negatively impacted by the lack of social interaction and as a result, productivity is decreased. Since the Covid-19 pandemic has calmed down and restrictions have been lifted worldwide, people should be returning to their places of work for at least a portion of their workweek.

Reference List:

Building and Maintaining Remote Relationships | SkillsYouNeed. (2022). Www.skillsyouneed.com. https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/remote-relationships.html

Kohll, A. (2018). 5 Reasons Social Connections Can Enhance Your Employee Wellness Program. Forbes. Retrieved September 6, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/alankohll/2018/01/31/5-ways-social-connections-can-enhance-your-employee-wellness-program/?sh=583f8c36527c

Kylili, A., Afxentiou, N., Georgiou, L., Panteli, C., Morsink-Georgalli, P.-Z., Panayidou, A., Papouis, C., & Fokaides, P. A. (2020). The role of Remote Working in smart cities: les

sons learnt from COVID-19 pandemic. Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/15567036.2020.1831108

McLeod, S. (2022, April 4). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

Millet, M. S. (2004). A Product of Social Interaction: Tag-Team Reference and Workplace Relationships. The Reference Librarian, 40(83-84), 23–31. https://doi.org/10.1300/j120v40n83_03

Tronco Hernández, Y. A., Parente, F., Faghy, M. A., Roscoe, C. M. P., & Maratos, F. A. (2021). Influence of the COVID-19 Lockdown on the Physical and Psychosocial Well-being and Work Productivity of Remote Workers: Cross-sectional Correlational Study (Preprint). JMIRx Med. https://doi.org/10.2196/30708

Vallorani, B. (n.d.). Author Post: Dressing For Success And The Achievement Of Your Dreams. Forbes. Retrieved September 6, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbooksauthors/2018/02/16/dressing-for-success-and-the-achievement-of-your-dreams/?sh=20ef67c8485b

WHO | Regional Office for Africa. (n.d.). Obesity rising in Africa, WHO analysis finds. [online] Available at: https://www.afro.who.int/news/obesity-rising-africa-who-analysis-finds.