Work From Home. Three words that can make a huge difference. Abbreviated to WFH, it has again come under the spotlight due to the dearth of fuel for both public and private vehicles, although it first came to the fore during the Covid-19 lockdowns worldwide.
Over many decades, employees around the world had got used to the daily routine of travelling to and from an office in a City, for which they had to spend an hour or more during the morning and evening rush hours. This was a complete waste of time as well as a massive waste of fuel if one used a personal vehicle.
More productive
While the Covid-19 pandemic was more or less the genesis of WFH in its present form, many companies and enterprises have since discovered that people could Work From Home just as effectively, minus the daily commute and expensive work clothes.
Workers can even be more productive at home and even work longer hours, according to many studies undertaken at the height of WFH. I can also personally vouch for this, as someone who edited an entire newspaper from home during the pandemic era.
WFH explosion
The companies also learned that video conferencing software programs such as Zoom facilitated online office meetings, which are in any case completely useless and non-productive – physical or virtual. Thus there was a “WFH explosion” as some newspapers called it and indeed, some reputed international IT, banking and other companies now allow their employees to WFH until their retirement.
There are many advantages of WFH. It saves time spent on travelling to and from office and also fuel. Granted, there are some professions and jobs that cannot be done remotely, at least in terms of current technology. For example, a doctor has to attend to his patients in person, though advances in telemedicine and remote robotic surgery have blurred the lines there as well. Still, one cannot expect a Policeman, baker, factory worker, a nurse or a sanitation worker to WFH.
But apart from a few such vocations, most others can indeed WFH. All you need is an Internet-linked PC with a webcam and a telephone line and you are good to go. For example, journalism is a profession that can very easily adapt to WFH.
Having got used to WFH (and even online classrooms), Sri Lankans are now being called to WFH in a totally different context. Now the immediate reason for WFH is the acute shortage of both petrol and diesel as a result of the foreign exchange and overall economic crises. There are long lines of vehicles of all types near filling stations and getting fuel has become a nightmare. Fuel is now very expensive and has become a very precious commodity that should be used only for the most essential of journeys by a private vehicle, such as a sudden visit to the hospital.
The private bus fleet too is running at only 20-30 per cent capacity, which means the available buses are rather crowded. Trains too are not running at full capacity, due to strikes and fuel issues.
e-government solution
In this backdrop, the Government has decided to grant a day off on Fridays for all Public Servants, except for those in the hospitals, Security Forces and the Police which are in any case 24/7 services. This day off is apparently for participating in the current food drive, but it is likely that certain categories of Public Servants will be required to WFH on this day.
This WFH decision should be a springboard for a complete e-Government solution, which will enable someone to apply for and get, say, a passport without ever leaving home. This will also eliminate the huge queues at various Government offices such as passport offices – everyone in those long lines has wasted several litres of fuel for public or private transport amidst this fuel crunch to get there in person.
Ignoring the stark reality
It is heartening to note that many private companies in Sri Lanka never really abolished the WFH facility granted for Covid-19 and now they have extended it in the face of the fuel issue.
Some rather enlightened and far-thinking companies allow WFH on all five days, while others vary from 2-4 days. Still, there are companies whose management insists on some categories of employees coming to office all five days, even though their work can easily be done from home. This ignores the stark reality on the ground and is heartless.
Monthly data/phone allowance
In our view, WFH should be extended to the maximum number of days possible by all companies and offices for all employees whose work can be done from home. In the long run, this will lead to a massive saving in terms of fuel and foreign exchange, not to mention money itself. In fact, even if things return to normal with no fuel queues, employees should consider extending the WFH facility to all employees who can do so. Companies should consider giving their employees a monthly phone/data allowance to maximise their productivity at home.
WFH can save a considerable amount of money – the bus fare to Colombo from a suburb such as Maharagama is Rs.125, so one needs Rs.1,250 per week to travel to and from an office in Colombo, not counting any last-mile three wheeler journeys which now cost around Rs. 200 Thus Rs.4,000-5,000 for bus fares alone for someone who gets a salary of around Rs.40,000 is a very big deal indeed.
Not too late
As for those who use personal vehicles, a full tank of petrol for an average vehicle costs around Rs.20,000, which is simply becoming unaffordable for many Middle-Class vehicle owners. And even if you have money, fuel is hard to come by. Thus the only viable solution is WFH.
In a way, we are now paying for the sin of neglecting the public transport system. Successive Governments have not properly invested in improving the public transport system over the years.
If we had electrified the railways and invested in modern, clean and comfortable compartments, many motorists would have opted to keep the car at home and ride the train to office.
As it is, the trains are dirty, congested and never on time. The same applies to buses, both public and private. Until such time we can truly sort out our public transport system and fuel supplies, WFH should be expanded to cover all applicable sectors.
In fact, we can take a leaf from countries such as the Netherlands, which has already included WFH in its laws as a fundamental right. Our lawmakers should seriously consider such a move in the light of the present economic crisis.