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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Work from home can curb infection

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MUSCAT, March 15 - As part of the precautions taken by the country to contain COVID-19, many have wondered about the possibility of a collective quarantine for some jobs that can be done from a distance, taking advantage of the new technology. It may be a clever idea in the wake of the global spread of the virus and some recent studies have also supported the productivity part of it suggesting that “working from home can increase productivity and decrease stress for some professions. Many institutions in the country have adopted ‘work from home’ approach for the safety of its employees and reduce chances of the coronavirus transmission.


Omantel, for example, has authorised 750 of its employees to work from home staring from Monday, as one of the precautions to contain the spread of the virus. Employees have been advised to start working immediately according to specific standards in coordination with their colleagues and managers to maintain work flow. Sabaa al Busaidy, an employee at Omantel, said, “We started ‘work from home’ initiative even before the epidemic and enabled employees to conduct their business from home in order to keep pace with the requirements of future professions and rapid digital transformation,” and added “many studies also say that working from home increases productivity.”


Nasser al Qasabi, a social activist, said, “There is a system of working from home for a day or two per week which was applied as a preliminary experiment for a number of employees in Petroleum Development Oman company and met with great success. Now it is being circulated more widely to other jobs. We can benefit and transfer this experience to government and private institutions as well.”


Siham al Harthi, an official at the Ministry of Housing, said, “The Chinese learned to serve their country while they were in their homes and did their work as usual thanks to the availability of capabilities. We should learn from these examples in activating future professions by providing the possibilities of working from home so that our daily life does not get any disruption in situations like this.”


Dr Iqbal al Ikaili, HR expert and a researcher, encouraged this approach saying that some government agencies have electronic networks through which they can activate work from home very easily. “It is a vision for the future.”


Hassan al Ajmi, an IT expert and a keen learner of electronic crimes, stressed on the need of work from home initiative in government and private institutions.


“It is a logical and practical solution for organisations. Work in institutions is divided into two sections: technical and administrative work. Each section has its own levels where employees can do from home. But it differs from one organisation to another,” he said.


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