Mood of the country has changed it's grim

• Published date: 19 April 2021
• Publication title: Daily Mirror

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world early last year, the corporate world discovered a new golden rule -

One US study found the length of working days increased by 8.2% during lockdown. Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA

work from home.

It created a new class division, separating those who had to report to work - driving a vehicle, fixing a leaking pipe or tending a patient from home isn't possible - and those who could use a computer or even their phones to get connected to their offices and clients. It reduced the risk of contamination considerably and cut out the stress and time wastage of travelling to work.

More than a year later, though, the gloss has worn off the work from home mindset. According to a recent study from Microsoft, almost two-thirds of the more than 31,000 full-time employed or self-employed workers interviewed across 31 markets said that they were 'craving' more in-person time with their teams and 37% of the global workforce complained that their companies were 'asking too much of them' when out of the office.

That latter part is a very valid but conveniently overlooked point. While no data from similar studies are available in Sri Lanka, many people I have talked to spoke of heavier workloads. They also said that office hours being seamless was highly stressful as their superiors could access them any time of day.

These added stresses worked against the advantages gained by the slashing of commuting time, and the ability to lie on one's bed and work. One young medical researcher working for an American company, working from home since April 2020, said he was required to work 12-hour shifts four days a week. He began suffering from chronic fatigue, weaker eyesight and is extremely worried about his health. A basketball player, he was no longer getting any exercise as he was simply too exhausted to work after practices (because of the time difference, he works night shifts, and added that he was ready to settle for a lower paying administrative staff position at a private hospital rather than continue with this company.

"After one year, people have learned to live with Covid-19. That they are often careless in public and disregard the rules is a sign of increasing detachment from the reality. People no longer believe that the real danger comes from the virus. They believe it's from the already unbearable cost of living, loss of livelihoods and the inability to plan anything for the future. Surviving each day has become a precarious business for...