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The Work From Home During and Beyond the Pandemic

by Pi Legal Consultancy

1.Introduction

This article intends to clarify the work from home during and beyond the pandemic.  It is easily seen that numerous people have been working from home during the pandemic, and likely well afterward. Currently, remote working is a growing trend, with more people working from home, especially millennials.

2. How did Coronavirus change the way we work?

The availability of digital communication and collaboration tools allows companies to employ their workers outside of the physical office. Remote working rates reached its peak because of the Covid-19 outbreak. Office-based working looks almost impossible anymore for a wide variety of sectors. Financial technology tools are designed as easy-to-use and mobile-friendly. Particularly videoconferencing, the internet, always-on video tools and other communication instruments ensure spontaneous face-to-face and virtual interactions. Hence they play a vital role in the development of distance working conditions.

3. What is Work From Home?

It is widely known that the recent pandemic led to a new working concept, called the Work From Home (WFH). Office-based employees around the world were required to do their jobs from home. WFH implies full-time and part-time employees working from home on a regular basis.

What is more, WHS has become the new normal afterwards across the world. The basic reason is that employees do not want to return to the office any more. That is also the case for employers too because of low costs. The pandemic and following prerequisites turn WFS into a longer-term phenomenon.

4. What are the main benefits of Work From Home?

There are a number of advantages of WHS including the provision of more flexibility, reducing commute costs and stress, saving time, decreasing office expenses, better peaceful working conditions and increasing productivity.

5. What are the existing problems of Work From Home?

Of course, work from home offers a wide variety of advantages, as analyzed above, both for staff and employers. Having said that, this new momentum causes many potential challenges. Isolation at home, low wages, discrimination based on desk-based or home-based workforces, and the violation of employee privacy may lead to a sharp drop in the productivity and performance. The question of who will pay for necessary working items and furniture remains unanswered.

6. What are the potential problems of Work From Home?

Law specialists need to address concrete problems as much as possible. For instance, what would happen if a worker breaks his back while working at home? Who will compensate for his/her loss, workforce insurance company or employer? Insurance companies or employers are likely to reject their claim for compensation due to the fact that the working activity is carried out at the outside company premises. Nevertheless, a remote worker must be found to suffer from an occupational injury in such cases. National or international instruments should be designed to protect the rights of the remote workforce. Every single gap must be fulfilled by law makers and practitioners. 

7.Conclusion

The current study found that the distance working trend has accelerated in recent years due to the coronavirus outbreak. A remote working lifestyle is becoming increasingly popular. New collaboration and communication tools are at the disposal of the remote workforce. Such instruments increase the productivity of home-based workers. However, working from home is likely  to lead to new problems, as discussed above.If you've dreamed of working from home, you've probably experienced some challenges. National authorities must start working on administrative, legal and judicial steps for the better integration of telework into our life as fast as possible.

Both employees and employers need experienced law specialists keeping in mind every single potential problem of home-based work.  Managers and teleworkers are required to get ready through such legal assistance and consultation regarding their obligations and rights. Both sides are obliged to learn how to prepare themselves for work-life conflicts, how to evaluate and handle claims and complaints, and how to protect themselves if they're sued.

  

Pi Legal Consultancy is an international law firm based in Ankara (Turkey) that offers legal consultancy and advocacy. We deliver legal services in key legal areas, among others, financial technologies, employment, healthcare, real estate, citizenship, corporate governance, banking and finance.