The work situation is getting too full of normalcy as workers are requested to report for work as soon as possible. This is a good sign that our economy is picking up and employees are happy that they will be able to work regularly in the office.

However, others are still hesitant to report for work.

Returning to work will be a new adjustment after a year of staying at home, quarantined, with movements limited within the four walls of their homes. The atmosphere is very different compared to an office setting.

At home, you can work comfortably with all your needs almost within your reach. You can eat at any time, work at your own pace, and do other activities that you enjoy while at home. Besides, other members of the family are present most of the time, so it is a perfect bonding moment after a day’s work.

Some workers also feel that certain adjustments have to be made especially on the economic side. Staying at home is more economical because you do not spend on food, gasoline for your car, and other trivial expenses that you usually incur when you are at work.

The setting is also a lot different compared to the office building.

Your home is more comfortable and cozy with family members around. You get more fresh air when you open your large windows while in the office the air-conditioner which ventilates the office building gives off artificial air that sometimes is a health hazard for the employees.

There are studies conducted showing the air-conditioners are a source of viruses or bacteria that carry different diseases, especially if not cleaned for a long time. As such, some employees contract diseases in the workplace which is a burden to the employee and for the company as well.

Due to these various reasons, some employees prefer to stay and work at home.

If there is freelancing work, that is more advantageous to an employee rather than making other adjustments working in the office. Telecommuting is also a fad these days. And other companies allow work at home set-up for their employees.

I also think that working from home is a better alternative for most workers. If I were given a chance to do it, I would accept that set-up from my company. However, I resigned from my previous company last year because covid-19 cases were increasing and at its height last year. Actually, we had several cases of that disease right inside our office building.  

So, the company thought of new strategies to address the situation. The first one the executives did was to offer incentives for those who want to resign from the job. Another strategy was to let work from home set-up be applied to workers who opt to stay at home to do their job. There was a little confusion for us that time because the memo suddenly cascaded and we were all surprised. I opted to resign from the job basically because of the fear of contracting the disease.

I opted to resign to get another freelancing job which I successfully did. I was so thankful for it.

On the other hand, there are still advantages in working in the office.

You get more company benefits compared to doing freelance work. And when you are working for a company, you are secured because companies are more stable than smaller ones that offer freelancing work.

Companies also offer more training, fringe benefits, and higher salaries that could budget your money for essentials and basic necessities you need for everyday living. Unlike telecommuting, a company job allows you to plan goals for the future because you know it is more stable.

Based on my experience, it is still better to be employed in a company, especially bigger ones if you are planning to have a better future ahead. However, the future looks uncertain as we see that the economy is evolving and dynamic, with companies also making changes to be able to adjust to the volatile situations today.

Regarding office work, it might be the same as the previous setup, there are also changes that were made since the onset of the pandemic. The layout and design of some offices were changed to adapt to the ‘new normal.’ Organizational structures are sometimes changed because of downsizing and new sets of executives and officials are installed for new management styles and strategies.

When I was working in a company, we used the regular pieces of furniture, and not all were ergonomically designed. For example, the tables were old although we were still working with our chairs. Because of the long hours of sitting, some employees develop muscular pains that cause absenteeism. However, today we have ergonomically designed furniture so that employees can work comfortably and efficiently.

Most employers know how much it will cost them when tardiness and absences are prevalent in the office. They know that employees are the number one asset of the company so they do their best to come up with better solutions to address employee attendance issues.

So they usually formulate guidelines and provide a better working environment for the employees and of course better benefits for them because they generate revenues and profits for the company.

Employers also arrange meetings through a general assembly wherein all employees and executives are concerned for a free dialogue between them so that the employees can redress their grievances to the company. I think this is a better way to resolve employee issues because it gives the employers ideas on the employee situations and how they will be able to resolve these issues for a better working relationship between the two parties.

They even procured ergonomic office furniture for their employees. For economic reasons, I think it is better to have a desk converter rather than buying a new desk for the office. At FlexiSpot, there are several types of desk converters that are really functional for office use.

For example, FlexiSpot has the EdgeRiser Standing Desk Converters M8MB.

With this desk converter, you can work in the standing posture that prevents lumbar pain and also neck pain. It is spacious and has been designed with a pneumatic lift system that offers smooth and easy height adjustment at the squeeze of a handle, so you can go from sitting to standing in an instant.