MANILA, Philippines — Following the flak received by a venture capital firm where it said working from home makes an employee “dumber” various employees and data came forward to either challenge or support the claim.
Up to this day, the heat of conversation about working from home shortly after that video went viral remains high, with others saying work from home setups are beneficial given the high transportation costs and other commodities affecting consumers.
Aleia Bungcad, 27, has been working from home since 2018, even before the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and even during that time, she said working from home allowed her to be “more productive” compared to working on site.
“When the video went viral, I recollected and reminisced about the times I started working from home and evaluated if it really led to complacency or being dumber, but in my case, it allowed me to finish tasks in better quality, and it saved my team a lot of time in a month,” Bungcad told Orion Post.
Bungcad is working as a remote content writer for an international business process outsourcing company that previously had a physical office in the metro. According to her, most of her teammates are able to churn out more deliverables compared to their performance when they had to go to the office every day.
But she said sometimes working from home could be emotionally challenging due to a lack of interaction. In her case, Bungcad said she often feels overwhelmed and loaded with household chores, unlike working from an office where employees don’t think about doing home tasks.
In 2023, they shifted to a hybrid setup, which Bungcad said she felt improved her state because, even though she was obliged to work on site for at least once a week, some working days where they had to work in the office allowed her to “experience physical human interactions,” which she said was “beneficial” to improve her job and “enhance team performance.”
This was also the same Charlene Sueño, who finds working from home “more at ease” because traveling in the metro is “exhausting.”
“As a commuter, you have to allot one hour of travel time in an area that can be traveled for 15 minutes without traffic, and after you reach the office, you’ll have to work for a job that could be done at home instead,” Sueño said.
The curse of working on site
A January report by tech firm Cisco revealed that at least 37 percent of workers in the country feel that a return-to-office (RTO) setup does not allow them to reach their full potential at work.
What do employers need to do to overcome this? The report said employers need to transform workspaces into collaborative hubs that enhance connections among employees by leveraging effective connectivity, collaboration tools, and a supportive culture in the hybrid work era.
A separate survey conducted by FlexJobs revealed that a significant 58 percent of workers are seeking a fully remote work arrangement, while 39 percent prefer a hybrid model that combines both remote and in-office work. The survey also highlighted that many employees are so committed to remote work that they are prepared to resign if their employers discontinue this option.
Over half of Filipino workers (52 percent) have been working from home for several years, with this figure rising to 85 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic due to flexible work arrangements. Despite the impact on mental health, about half (49 percent) still prefer remote work, as reported by JobStreet.
The emotional toll
This was also the sentiment of psychologist Riyan Portuguez, who said that even though working from home, in several studies, provides employees with added productivity, the common downsides of this option affect entirely the mental health of the worker.
He also discussed why the video criticizing employees who work from home went viral because the comments were “insensitive.”
“The negative reaction to their comments stemmed from the fact that many people work from home, and the comments themselves seemed quite insensitive,” Portuguez said.
Bungcad emphasized that companies must evolve their management practices, as employees are the driving force behind any organization. Without a supportive and emotionally-friendly environment, employees may struggle and fail to reach their full potential.
@yourmillennialpsych YMP Reacts: Work-from-home set up issue. Kayo anong tingin nyo? #BayaningPuyat #BPO #WorkFromHome #psychology #mentalhealth
♬ original sound - Riyan Portuguez, MP, RPm, RPsy
“Most companies have their KPIs (key performance indicators), and one thing to consider is how these employers perform under friendly management. COVID-19 taught businesses to adapt to the changing environment, and they should not judge those who prefer working from home because all employees have their ways to be productive and perform their duties, after all, they still achieve the company’s goals, and we should focus on that,” she said.
