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by Dennis De Peiza

The joy of working from home may have become the novelty of the century. It may have been welcomed by many workers and employers, albeit it for different reasons.

On the one hand some may tend to consider it as a nuisance and an inconvenience to the many customers and clients. Some employers in welcoming this new approach, share the perspective that it allows them to reduce the expenditure of their operations. It may also provide them with the ideal excuse to embark on a programme of staff reduction. Regrettably, they feel empowered that they can move to reduce or eliminate their responsibilities and obligations as an employer to their employees.

The transitioning from the routine of a workplace to working from home, has become a feature within the public and private sectors. Government and private sector employers, both share the view that introduction of new technologies, have the potential to serve their interest in promoting efficiency in business operations.

The move to telecommuting and the provision of online services, make for the ease of doing business. The reduction and partial elimination of face to face transactions is perceived to be the ultimate goal. What has emerged is that robotics and informatics have become the order of the day.

Whilst the development in the wide use of technologies can be given a thumbs up, there are some drawbacks to the overall effectiveness of the usage.

The assumption seems to have been made that every individual has access to or can afford a computer or mobile device. Further, there is also the assumption that the vast majority of persons across the demographics, are versed in the use of the computer or associated technologies.

Then there is the perceived notion that there is ready access to internet connectivity by all. These are but a few of the drawbacks that people are likely to face. Consideration ought to be given to the fact that there must a leveling of the playing field in order that the vast majority of persons, if not all, are not disadvantaged.

It would appear that those who believe in the wide use of new and advanced technologies, take for granted that traditional systems and practices in the workplace can easily be altered or changed, so as to bring about efficiencies and convenience in the delivery of service. The idea of a quick fix seems not to take into consideration that change is not always easy to accept, neither is it achieved in one fell swoop.

Public sector employees in which ever jurisdiction they reside across the globe and who now enjoy the luxury of working from home, are expected to provide and maintain the delivery of a high quality of service to the public.

It is well known that the bureaucracy which exists in the functioning of government agencies and departments, requires that there is coordination and cross referencing to be completed in the delivery of service to clients.

The potential difficulty associated with this, resides in the contact to be made with personnel within the department or agency. In the instance where officers are working from home, difficulties may be experienced in reaching them by telephone, or in some instances where contact is made, they do not have access to files, records and other information.

The new norm of having to listen to an automated telephone recording and to go through a list of directions to reach an officer, can be frustrating.

This frustration is also often felt by persons seeking to do business, when much time is spent being placed on hold after listening to a recorded response, and thereafter having to wait in line for an inordinate time to be answered by the next available agent. This caller who uses a pre-paid mobile phone service,
has to bear the real cost of time and money to get the service that is required.

These are real problems which can only result in a slowing down in the delivery of service to members of the public. There is a popular recitation that is now often heard when contact is made by telephone with some public sector departments of agencies.

The recording simply says, “The office is closed.” In some instance, a number is given to make contact with an officer. If you are fortunate to reach that officer, it is not unfamiliar to get a response of “I will take your information and get back to you.” This has become part of the new norm, which in itself says a lot for the efficiency which is expected.

It would be interesting to understand how much thought has been given to loss of productivity that has resulted as a consequence of employees working from home.

There is a fundamental difference in the level of supervision that can be exercised over an employee who works from home as opposed to the being in the workplace.

The fact that an employee has some measure of control over what the individual does and when, can make life difficult for customers and clients. In the privacy of their homes, employees may determine if and when to answer an incoming telephone call.

Whilst such reluctance may be exhibited in the workplace, the individual employee is more likely to pay attention to the fact that his or her actions are being observed and monitored. These drawbacks as identified, are not things that ought to be taken lightly, as they hinder the ease in doing business. There must be a balance struck in working from home, so as to ensure that inefficiencies are reduced and persons seeking to do business are not restricted, disadvantaged and made to endure volumes of stress.

It is unimaginable that private sector businesses would resort to placing their business in a full automation mode in treating directly with customers, considering that managers are knowledgeable of the fact that this could impact on sales, service and production.

The integration of automation and robotics will suffice the intentions of a modern technological world. With Government setting the tone as it relates to the level of employment, the embrace of new technologies will contribute to a further contraction of employment in the public service.

This development certainly gives the private sector more than enough reasons to embrace the technologies and to also dispense with workers. This leaves employment as a casualty of the introduction of new technologies in the workplace.

Dennis De Peiza is a Labour & Employee Relations Consultantat Regional Management Ser  ices Inc. website: www.regionalmanagement services.com

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