Page 10 - Islands Business March 2022

The Future of Work The Future of Work

TELEWORKING REALITIES

By Samantha Magick

“Your mic is muted.”
“Majuro can you hear us?”
“Sorry I just dropped out.”
“Can you see my screen?”
Two years into the pandemic and this exchange, or
something very like it, has echoed around loungerooms,
kitchen tables and makeshift home offices in Apia,
Hagatna, Honiara, Mt Hagen and all points in between.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been dubbed the “great
accelerator”, as it brought an enormous shift to digital
around the world. Schools and learning went online,
video conference participation rose dramatically, medical
services were delivered over the phone and Internet, and
businesses struggling to implement their digital strategy
took the leap, simply because they had no other choice.
“The pandemic has led to a surge of teleworking, ef-
fectively changing the nature of work practically over-
night for many workers,” said Maria Neira, WHO Director,
Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health.
A report released by WHO and the International Labour
Organisation last month found the benefits of teleworking
included an improved balance between work and home
life, more flexible working hours, more time for exercise,
less time in traffic, and reduced air pollution across urban
areas. The report says teleworking can also lead to higher
productivity and lower operating costs for many compa-
nies.
In our region, many people found themselves with more
time to tend their plantations or take up new hobbies.
Communications consultant Mere Tuivuniwai juggled jobs,
children, her community responsibilities and still man-
aged a home renovation during lockdowns. She contin-
ues to work from home in Suva for a Caribbean-based
program.
“One of the most exciting trends during this pandemic
is movement of skills around the globe,” Tuivuniwai
writes (You can read more about her experiences on page
14).
However there are also potential downsides to remote
working arrangements, such as feelings of isolation, burn-
out, depression, eye strain, excessive drinking of alcohol
and kava, and unhealthy weight gain.
“Which way the pendulum swings, depends entirely
on whether governments, employers and workers, work
together, and whether there are agile and inventive oc-
cupational health services to put in place policies and and decent work,” she said.
practices that benefit both workers and the work,” said The report includes recommendations such as develop-
Dr Neira at WHO. ing individual work plans with clear priorities, timelines and
“As we move away from this ‘holding pattern’ to settle expected results, and the effective use of digital platforms.
into a new normal, we have the opportunity to embed However for many Pacific Islands employers, this discussion
new supportive policies, practices and norms to ensure
millions of teleworkers have healthy, happy, productive Continued on page 13

10 Islands Business, March 2022