Lakshmi Kothaneth - lakshmiobserver@gmail.com - Driving to work and waiting at the roundabout for the light to turn green gives one enough time to have a glimpse of what’s going around. Right next was a huge trailer. Trucks and trailers are great subjects to stare at. The details are amazing. If not for the art work found on trucks, decorative indeed, the technical marvel will leave you awestruck. The tyres, the tool box, and the engine… the list is long. There is another interesting aspect — there would always be traces of life on the road if you look closely at the trucks.
Just then came into view somewhere in the middle of the truck a space that could easily accommodate luggage. What emerged was worn, flattened cartons. “Is this where the driver would take a quick nap?”
While most people on the road would eventually go home to call it a day, the truck drivers continue to drive until it is time to take a break, but still on the road. The long distance bus drivers probably face the same situation but are probably not as lonely as the truck drivers.
This week in Oman, we have seen the trend growing towards working away from office. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry is the first authority to apply remote work.
If you think about it in broader perspective, could it be the way forward for the future? You need a work station wherever you are, but does it have to be in the office premises? Of course there would be better facilities in an office. Then again how about meetings? Working from home sounds like a good idea until we think about drawing the line between work and home, or work and leisure.
In school, there is some level of comfort in wearing the uniform yet one would easily remember the joy of wearing coloured dress on the special days. In a way it shows a lot of people like to distinguish between work and leisure.
They say the best of work performers have a certain element of passion that can be found in their work output. This is not just about amount of work but quality of work.
If the trend is here to stay, then occupational therapists will have more to do research on.
The health, safety and environment experts would have to draft new guidelines. For many career-oriented individuals who want to look after home as well as a career, the announcement of Remote Work must be exciting.
“Now, employees of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) can perform their work outside of their work place, either at home, public place or even during holidays,” came the announcement a few days ago. There has been talks about an oil company having embarked on a similar pilot project.
In any case, it would be interesting to see how fast the trend will grow.
Meanwhile, calling it a day as I walked through a building to head home I saw a professional gardener in the corporate world cooling his heels in the open air. When everyone was shunning the daylight and trying to reach their vehicles, here was a gentleman taking a break in his own corner of shade, relaxed on a piece of newspaper listening to music on his mobile phone. There was breeze and birds were chirping. It is all about the outlook I suppose.
Some have always practised remote work, it seems. They are always on the go, such as the truck drivers, while gardeners would have to be always on location.
It is nice to look at the whole spectrum to realise everyone is doing a ‘job’, entangled in technology or not.
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