MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Amid the implementation of enhanced community quarantine protocols to prevent COVID-19 transmission, several enterprises have introduced telecommuting schemes among their workforce.
The sudden shift to a work-from-home set-up has challenged the concept of business continuity and the way people work. From being an exception, telecommuting has now become the new normal, and enterprises are looking for ways to calibrate their operations.
This is why some companies have expedited investments—from providing portable work equipment, to giving free consultation access to those who are new to working remotely—to make their employees’ transition to cloud-based work as seamless as possible.
According to a report made by Payoneer, a leading cross-payment platform, collaborative technologies make it easier for remote workers to effectively contribute and communicate. This has thus engrossed many young workers, mostly under the age of 35, to try and take on a different path by getting into the freelancing world.
The freedom to work from home and the privilege to enjoy flexible working hours are two of the most prominent factors why gig economy workers seem to be content with their lifestyles — but with more companies obliged to confront their reluctance toward remote work, could the COVID-19 pandemic actually lead to a significant telecommuting shift?
For one, traditional companies who have a strong office workforce have now been navigating remote work technologies they haven’t paid close attention to before. Online resources deemed unconventional back then have now become requisite work assets to keep their businesses afloat. At the organizational level, directors who believe that employees show more dynamics in an office set-up are now testing the waters by having to do it virtually. Given the situation, employers have also been compelled to monitor their team’s productivity in measures that go beyond the proximity of office attendance.
Employees, on the other hand, are slowly getting a glimpse as to why many businesses have already adopted the telecommuting culture. Besides the benefits of being able to work from home and not having to brave their day-to-day commute, many have also recognized how this set-up can diversify the workforce by extending opportunities to those who live far and even those with physical disabilities.
With a global pandemic at hand, making good use of telecommuting can be the most operative thing employers can do to ensure the welfare of their employees. While this may be provisional, this large virtual collaboration experiment can broaden the possibility of having a significant telecommuting shift. For now, navigating the process and building the discipline required for this set-up could be one step ahead in exploring the future of work.
To know more about remote workers from more than 150 countries, download Payoneer’s The 2020 Freelancer Income Report.
About Payoneer
Payoneer’s mission is to empower businesses to go beyond – beyond borders, limits and expectations. In today’s digital world, Payoneer’s platform streamlines global commerce for millions of small businesses, marketplaces and enterprises from 200 countries and territories. Leveraging its robust technology, compliance, operations and banking infrastructure, Payoneer delivers a suite of services that includes cross-border payments, working capital, tax solutions, merchant services and risk management. Payoneer – one world, one platform, endless opportunities. www.payoneer.com
