• New research shows most employees (87%) feel at least somewhat ready to make the shift to working from home (WFH) if required
• The majority (77%) expect companies to be more accepting of WFH policies after the pandemic passes
Research just released by Lenovo shows that employees and businesses are adapting to work from home (WFH) arrangements, with smart technologies having already enabled the rise of a global workforce that stays connected in a work-from-anywhere world.
With the government extending the enhanced community quarantine to May 15 in Metro Manila and other high-risks areas to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, the Philippines is joining the worldwide trend of encouraging people to work from home wherever feasible to intensify social distancing.
“Our survey suggests that the employee experience was already changing before the pandemic hit,” said Michael Ngan, President and General Manager of Lenovo Philippines. “For example, in the past 15 years, the number of those regularly working from home has grown 159% in the US and the same increase is happening in other markets. While our current situation is extraordinary, we are seeing a real willingness from workers to adapt and adopt flexible work arrangements. This confirms that corporate technology investments are paying off, as most people now feel productive at home and believe that the workforce will move more in this direction once the crisis has passed.”
The Lenovo study , which looked at employee attitudes towards WFH in China, Japan, Germany, Italy, and the US, found that a majority of employees (87%) felt at least somewhat ready to make the shift to WFH when required. Most had already been either encouraged (46%) or required (26%) to WFH as part of COVID-19 mitigation measures. Furthermore, 77% expect that companies will either encourage or at least be more open to letting staff work remotely in the future.
Even when the quarantine is lifted, the Philippine government is expecting reduced economic activity as a result of the public’s hesitation to engage. In addition, a pro-work from home stance has already been raised as a solution to traffic woes, particularly in the capital region of Metro Manila. The Telecommuting Act (R.A. 11165) was signed into law to allow employees to conduct work at home or remotely outside the workplace.
The move to telecommuting is also a welcome development to the nation’s rising gig economy which thrives on hiring employees on a flexible and freelance setup through online platforms. The Philippines currently ranks sixth in the world and is the fastest-growing market for the gig industry, revealing a 35% year over year growth in freelance earnings as reported in financial services company Payoneer’s 2019 Global Gig-Economy Index.
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