Hello all,

By now I`m sure you can relate to my previous blogs from an employer and employee perspective right. Most of us have experienced this or know of someone that has been bullied or experienced unfair treatment at work, covered for someone due to absence, been unfairly performance managed or retrenched let alone went to court to defend yourself from it all. Know the drill……?

Covid – 19 and the effect on the work environment

Covid-19 has changed the world forever and can be a catalyst to many great new opportunities and the demise of old and rigid thoughts, processes, and behaviours.

Many organizations the world over have now finally realised the true value of technology and the power of video calling and thereby allowing employees to work from home. Ring a bell? A few of the big global giants have now decided that their employees can work from home permanently. Lovely is it not? Yes it is, but it also brings about many new challenges such as working hours, do you still put in for sick leave when you are working from home, what time do you start and stop work, are you contactable at any hour during the day or night. How about salary cuts due to less commuting or relocating for work as you are now based at home. Do you still get compassionate leave, family responsibility leave, annual leave as often as you took it before?

Policies and terms of conditions of employment will have to be amended which is not necessarily a bad thing.

Remote working and the real-life dynamics

Sadly, though there is still one evil cancerous pandemic that will creep into the remote working world and it is called virtual or online bullying. Employers and employees need to understand the dynamics of remote working and the professional etiquette it still requires, same as being in an office environment. Would it be fair for a manager to become angry at a staff member /subordinate for being away from the computer for an extended period, a bathroom break, a nap? Can this same manager be angry at the subordinate for missing the weekly video team call due to the toddler needing to be fed or falling from the sofa whilst crawling around the house at that same time. Have you been reprimanded for something like this or received a strongly worded email from your boss for something they misunderstood or did not know how to do now that the face to face interaction is limited?

Well it goes both ways right. Employees could also communicate any challenges they might experience, Wi-Fi connectivity issues, personal matters requiring attention, and this goes a long way to opening the channels of communication and understanding.

Both parties could mitigate instances of virtual bullying through clear guidelines, mutual respect and setting boundaries up front. Colleagues should also be mindful and respectful of co-worker’s circumstances and refrain from crewed and derogatory online jokes, inappropriate emails, or demanding assistance if they are co dependant on work being completed or even project-based work.

Changing mindsets

As remote work increases, its is a transition for both employer and employee as the traditional and basic fundamentals of work have changed bringing with it a new set of challenges and pressures which if not managed correctly could quickly spiral out of control. Employers should trust their staff to deliver hence them being hired in the first place. Employees too should be mature enough to appreciate the benefits of remote work and practice professionalism, integrity and remain committed and maintain or increase productivity levels.