LAST week, we had a joint meeting with my colleagues through the Zoom application. Since we started to work from home almost three months ago, I have not physically met any of them. During the Zoom meeting, however, some faces seemed to be completely different and took me by surprise.
Matthew (name changed) used to be a clean-shaven man, always sporting a necktie and matching shirt. My expectation at the Zoom was completely different. He turned out to be a man with a bushy beard with a T-shirt and shabby personality.
The lockdown has affected our personalities. People have opted to remain in pyjamas day in day out, personal care including weekend visits to saloons have been shelved, people’s morals seems to be deteriorating, which should not be the case. Every working day, presenting yourself as if you are in the office will build self-confidence and moral.
Working from home has its own challenges and many attention diverting instances. Children interfering, network interruptions are some of the common ones. The mobile operators have no mercy and if you delay paying bills, suspension of services is likely which affects not only your mobile access but also the home to office work network. The safety of the network that connects you with the office is up to the office IT department but is a case to worry about.
These days we are witnessing high death and infection rates in Bahrain due to Covid-19 and experts say that it is a sign that we are approaching what they call a ‘peak’ in the infection pattern. That is normally followed by a decrease in these rates as observed in Italy and Spain. I hope we will be back to the office soon, however. Working from home will likely remain the best option for employers as it cuts overhead office expenses and reduces transportation costs and time spent on traffic-jammed roads.
Adapting to the ‘ new normal’ is the way forward.
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