Work From Home: A profitable strategy for companies, but a growing burden on families, ETHRWorld

Time of India

20-07-2025

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Advt
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ETHRWorld Contributor
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Since the global shift to Work from Home (WFH) during the pandemic, many companies have embraced it as a long-term or hybrid strategy. From a business standpoint, WFH offers undeniable cost and operational advantages. However, while companies gain, many employees—and more importantly, their families—are silently bearing the brunt of this transformation.The WFH Advantage : Organizations have identified several core profits from the WFH model—• Cost Reduction: One of the most immediate and measurable benefits companies experience from Work From Home (WFH) is the significant reduction in operational costs.Here's a breakdown of how companies save: Savings on office rent, electricity, water supply, internet, pantry, housekeeping, office hygiene maintenance costs, travel reimbursements, stationery, printing, office supplies and courier.• Access to a Larger Talent Pool: WFH allows companies to recruit talent from any location, expanding beyond metro cities and office-based hiring.Companies can hire from any location without bearing relocation or travel costs.• Increased Availability & Flexibility: WFH eliminates commuting, giving employees more control over their schedules and increasing their availability.Employees often start early or work late, as commute time is eliminated. Greater responsiveness to urgent tasks or client calls. Flexible hours help balance personal and professional responsibilities. Higher output during peak productivity times (as chosen by employee).• Lower Absenteeism & Attrition: The flexibility of WFH leads to better work-life balance, resulting in fewer leaves and higher employee retention.Reduced sick leaves and casual absences. Employees manage personal needs without taking full days off. Better job satisfaction due to autonomy and comfort. Increased loyalty, reducing resignation and turnover rates.• Business Continuity: WFH ensures uninterrupted operations, even in challenging situations.Work carries on during lockdowns, strikes, floods, or natural disasters. No dependency on physical office or location-specific risks. Better disaster preparedness through digital infrastructure. Faster recovery time after disruptions.• Technology-Driven Culture: WFH accelerates digital transformation and fosters a tech-enabled work environment.Wider use of tools like Zoom, Teams, Slack, and cloud platforms. Improved digital collaboration across locations and teams. Paperless workflows and real-time document sharing. Boost in tech adoption even among non-technical employees. Data-driven decisions through dashboards and analytics.These advantages make WFH a cost-effective and scalable model for modern companies. However, behind every remote workstation is a household that's under increasing pressure.Employees & Families Under Pressure: While the company saves money and gains efficiency, employees—especially those with families—are experiencing emotional, physical, and financial challenges:1. Work-Life ImbalanceThe boundaries between work and personal life have eroded. Employees often work late into the evening or on weekends, missing meals and family moments.2. Family StrugglesSpouses and children often feel neglected. The emotional availability of a parent or partner disappears behind screens and meetings.3. Infrastructure LimitationsNot all homes have proper workspaces. Shared rooms, poor internet, and constant background noise reduce productivity and increase frustration.4. Mental & Emotional BurnoutRemote work can be isolating. Without social interaction or workplace engagement, employees report rising stress, loneliness, and fatigue.5. Double ResponsibilityEmployees, especially women, face the double burden of office work and housework, leading to exhaustion and conflicts.6. Lack of VisibilityRemote workers often feel 'invisible.' Despite working hard, their efforts go unnoticed, leading to demotivation and missed opportunities.7. Career & Skill GapsFewer informal learning opportunities, mentorships, or office exposure slows down professional development, especially for new or junior staff.Who Pays? In the office, companies provide tea, power, seating, and support staff—but during WFH, these costs shift silently to employees and their families.• Spouses become unrecognized office assistants: In many homes, the employee's wife prepares tea two or three times daily, just like an office pantry—without any appreciation or compensation.• Home expenses rise: Electricity bills increase due to laptops, fans, ACs, and Wi-Fi running all day. Water usage, gas for cooking, and general wear-and-tear all go up.• Mental strain on the family: The emotional and physical labour of supporting WFH routines often falls on the spouse—unpaid and unnoticed.'At the office, tea was free. At home, my wife prepares it three times a day. I never realized—she's paying the real cost of my WFH.' – A mid-level employee, honestly sharing.Real-Life ExampleImagine a mid-level professional living in a two-bedroom apartment with his spouse and two young children. Both parents are working remotely, and the children attend online classes. The home becomes a battlefield—with competing video calls, poor connectivity, and no private space. The wife prepares tea, cooks lunch, manages the kids, and juggles her own office load. On paper, productivity is high—but emotionally, the family is stretched to its limits.To maintain company efficiency while protecting employee wellbeing , many organizations are adopting a Hybrid Work Model —blending remote and in-office work.• Define core working hours to prevent overwork.• Offer mental health support, virtual wellness sessions, and counselling access.• Provide home office reimbursements for chairs, internet, or lighting.• Encourage managers to lead with empathy and regularly check in with team members.• Create fair recognition systems for remote staff.• Acknowledge and reduce the domestic burden of employees through support policies.WFH has been a cost-saving boon for companies, but its true cost is being paid inside employees' homes—by the workers themselves, and often by their spouses and children.To build a sustainable and human-centric future, organizations must balance profits with compassion. After all, long-term success depends not just on cutting costs, but on supporting the very people who make work possible—at the office or at home.