Work From Home (WFH) is a work system in which employees complete tasks from home or other locations outside the office, with the support of communication technology and digital collaboration. This system has become popular since the COVID-19 pandemic as an effort to maintain employee health and the continuity of the company's operations.
WFH offers flexibility and work focus, but presents challenges such as ineffective communication, limited facilities, and distractions from the home environment. The success of WFH depends on employee discipline and technological support from the company. Therefore, us as a company engaged in IT solutions, implementing WFH policies to maintain productivity during the pandemic. However, there are pros and cons during WFH, here are some advantages and disadvantages that can be felt by employees during WFH.
Pros During WFH
1. More Flexible
With WFH, there are advantages obtained, especially flexibility. First, flexible related to time, working hours are no longer fixed on the eight to five system. So you are free to set your work schedule according to your wishes, the most important thing is that the work is completed.
The second is flexible related to the place, to do daily tasks can be done wherever you want, be it in the living room, dining table, terrace and others. Finally, flexibility is related to appearance because it does not require time to make up or dress up, just use clothes that make it comfortable to get the job done.
2. Save on Transportation Costs
When WFH, another advantage is to save on travel expenses to the office, whether it is using a private vehicle or public transportation so that the transportation money can be saved or used for other things.
3. Company Operating Costs Decrease
Another advantage of implementing work from home is that the company's operational costs are reduced because the company does not need to provide computer maintenance costs, internet costs, electricity costs and other costs.
4. Work-life Balance
The last advantage of WFH is the balance between work and daily life. By working from home, you can be closer to your family and the surrounding environment so that your life balance is fulfilled. This balance between work and life can be achieved when a person has good work productivity so that they can allocate time according to their respective portions.
Cons During WFH
Behind the many advantages, there are several cons or disadvantages that need to be addressed by both the company and employees when implementing the work from home (Contra WFH) program. Here's the discussion:
1. Lots of Work Interruptions
Not every work done from home can run smoothly. There are so many disturbances, especially from children and families. Indirectly, Working at home makes our focus divided between office work and homework, therefore we must be able to determine the priority scale.
2. Frequent Miscommunication
One of the biggest challenges during work from home is ineffective communication. If you used to have face-to-face office meetings, now you have to rely on technology. For this reason, it must always be stand by or online and easy to contact, so as not to miss information.
3. Operational Costs at Home Increase
All operational costs of work are automatically transferred during work from home, starting from electricity, internet and food, which were previously the responsibility of the office, are now dependents at home.
4. Not All Work Can Be Done With the WFH Concept
The last disadvantage of work from home is that not all work can be done from home, because some business sectors require employees to still have to work in offices such as hospitals.
Conclusion
From the discussion above regarding the pros and cons during the implementation of Work From Home (WFH). The effectiveness of these policies largely depends on how companies are able to design, implement, and manage these policies appropriately. Companies need to consider various aspects, such as employee needs, job characteristics, technology support, as well as the ability to create effective communication and coordination. With good management, WFH can be an efficient solution to increase productivity while providing flexibility for employees. However, without careful planning, this policy has the potential to present challenges that can hinder the smooth operation of the company.