As part of our continuous improvement policy, Mitrais regularly conducts internal surveys of staff. One of the top 10 requests received from staff was to adjust the working from home (WFH) policy so that they don’t have to always commute to work when possible and that they can work from home or make use of any appropriate workstations nearby their homes.

Their wish was granted! Management made changes to the telecommuting policy taking effect in January 2019 making the option available to all. This way, we believe it will increase the staff’s motivation as they have more options in terms of work-life balance, and that this will be beneficial to productivity. The change in the policy has proven particularly useful when all companies across the globe are currently affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The safety of our staff remains the number one priority, while they still can be productive.

Windhu, one of the Analysts at Mitrais at Jogja office, says “I somehow feel mentally healthier than before as I can stay near my beloved new-born while still managing to work productively. No more juggling family and work!”. Similarly, Reny, Manager of Mitrais’ in-house English training can channel the time and energy she usually spent on the road to her work. “I used to spend 1.5 hours back and forth from home to the office. As we’re now temporarily working from home due to the current conditions, I can still work as productively as if I’m in the office, and I can cut costs too!”.

While WFH has many benefits, it also presents some new challenges to the employee. WFH and WFO (Working from Office) arrangements carry the same responsibilities but with different challenges. Being at home, the employee might find unexpected distractions from family members, sudden electricity blackouts, and unstable internet connections.

“Setting a comfortable place for the work-station like the office might help to work better at home. Making a daily to-do list (including precautions against unexpected events such as having electricity power backup and standby alternative internet connections) certainly helps. And it’s still important is take some time to walk or stretch out to maintain your body flexibility”, says Reny.

Most importantly, the key to making it a success is being responsible by managing your time professionally while working from home. That’s how we achieve improved work-life balance while maintaining productivity.