Hoping for a middle ground

Photo by Major Tom Agency on Unsplash

It’s been two years since our last normal week in the office before it was initially declared that we’ll be having a 30-day community quarantine in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19. 

Since then, I have never set foot in the office except at times when I’d pass by and see the towering RCBC Plaza along Ayala and Gil Puyat Avenue from afar.

It was truly a blessing when I was one of the people from our team first selected to work from home—starting on March 27, 2020, which was a Friday. I never thought then it will last this long, so like everyone else, I took it as some sort of a “break” or a “vacation”. I may have bought a new laptop for me to use but I never bothered about getting myself settled in the hopes that all will be temporary.

At first, it was fine. The perks of working remotely are pretty obvious: No need to get up so early in the morning to prepare (I’m an early riser), no need to bear the commute (especially after work), I can watch TV and eat whenever I want, I can be with my family, etc. But even then, I’ve been restless because I know it’s not an ideal set-up for me compared to most people I know who view WFH as a “dream come true”. This is something I know even during my 60-day Magna Carta leave back in 2018 when after just a few weeks I got anxious and I wanted so much to go back to the office.

So, when the management started to improve on our systems to support working remotely and deploying equipment to employees, I know it would take so much for us to go back on-site even after the COVID pandemic because the transition itself was a success. Maybe the company has also saved so much on operational expenses, who knows?

Many of my officemates are very happy about this but me not so much. But then, that’s just me. The truth is, I only told a few people about this because it’s what you’d call an unpopular opinion. I don’t want to appear ungrateful for the opportunity to work at home and be insensitive to other people’s preferences.

But I miss going to the office. I miss the routine. I even miss the frustration of getting stuck in traffic or the pain of going home during a rainy day when all the streets around would get flooded. And while I can be what some would describe as an introvert, I very much miss the people. 

At home, I’m just a wreck by the end of the day. My anxiety is at the highest it has ever been. When I’m home I can’t help but see and worry about everything. Instead of focusing on my work, I have to look out for my senior mother and my nephews. I have to take care of the little things. At home, there are too many distractions. Even noise and clutter can stress me out. 

Now I noticed how some of my family members rely heavily on the fact that I’m here. They grew overly dependent on my presence. Like, I have to think of what they’d have for lunch because none of them would actually move. They think that because I’m home, I can run errands at the same time. Even when I explain to them repeatedly why I can’t do things eventhough I’m just right here, they kind of forget that I am here getting paid to actually work. 

And even more now that we’re currently having this family drama, nakukunsumi na ako sa bahay. I’m always looking for ways to get out of the house. If I had my way I would want to leave as much as I could after clocking out.

In the office, it’s like “out of sight, out of mind”.  

I have totally neglected myself in the looks department too, as I feel there’s no point to it when I’m just home most of the time. I know all it takes is to turn these things around but I don’t have the same motivation as I would have when I leave every day for work.

The other day, I was looking at my old Instagram posts and while some might consider my posts mundane, I felt I was much a happier person then. 

***  

This week, it was all over the news. The business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, which is where our company belongs even if we’re really a global hotel chain, had to go back on-site starting April 1, 2022. This means that companies would have to require at least 90% of their workforce to return to office by then. All request for an extension has been denied.

The tax breaks and fiscal incentives given to the companies that belong to this industry are only good up until the end of the month. So it’s pretty clear why the government is pushing for the Return-to-Office. They even said that the RTO “would provide more opportunities and pave the way for the recovery of local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that depend on IT-BPM employees for their livelihood”.  

Our company, even if our office is in an economic zone, doesn’t seem to be bothered by all of this. If for anything, our management is busy with the workstation management program by providing equipment to those who are using their own devices. So yeah, after paying installment for this laptop I’m currently using for a good 24 months, the office will be replacing it eventually.  

As expected, the industry didn’t take this very well and I have seen a lot of negative reactions towards the news. This is understandable because whether I admit it or not, the WFH arrangement, even with its birthing pains, was mostly a success. Many still have jobs despite the challenges and restrictions of the pandemic, myself included. 

Plus, there’s still the threat of COVID and the rising oil prices that can cause a domino effect on the prices of basic goods. The transport sector is now even pushing an increase in the minimum fare. I feel for my officemates who are very much against returning to the office (some were even threatening resignation) just because they had to bear the daily commute. I have officemates who are now home in their provinces since the WFH supports it. Imagine how nice it was for them to leave the city. Suddenly the possibility of going back is looming.

We have different circumstances and triggers. Staying at home while working can stress me out of my wits, but I also know that commuting from Cavite to Makati and back can be a stressor for some. I think companies should consider stepping out of the traditional set-up to a sort of a “middle ground”. I’m talking about a Hybrid Work Arrangement where employees are allowed the flexibility to work on-site and remotely part of the week.

There is no word from the management about the possibility of a Hybrid Work Arrangement but I hope they will consider it.