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This week, Business Systems Manager, Rajani Karra, weighs in on life at home and what some of the biggest challenges have been for her so far.

We also discuss the impact of life at home and some of the bad, that inevitably come with the good.

An easy transition?

Although some managers and contractors across SAP industries have struggled with the transition, Rajani has found the transition to be quite easy. “It has been quite painless and smooth. I have all the required access to the information to perform my duties remotely.”

This makes us wonder if companies, such as Rajani's, that had the infrastructure already in place - workplace flexibility or the occasional ‘work from home’ day - have had an easier transition into this new situation. For large companies this task can be long and tedious, especially if they don't intend to remain flexible once restrictions are lifted.

Zoom Fatigue

No matter how prepared companies may have been, there will always be challenges as Rajani points out. “We have ‘Teams’ and other online tools to interact with each other but it is not the same as having one-one in person,” she says.

And it’s not uncommon to feel disconnected when you’re working from home. Although these Apps enable flexible workplaces, many people have reported, ‘Zoom fatigue’. A buzz word that describes how tiring being constantly connected online can be.

So, why are we getting ‘Zoom fatigue?’

It may simply be from our inability to use the usual social cues and non-verbal communication we have at our disposal. This means we are working much harder when we communicate. Our body language is harder to read, we are focussed on how we appear on the screen or how we sound. All these things are contributing factors to the energy we expend on ‘Zoom’ calls.

But there are benefits

“Spending a bit more time with family and ability to work for extra couple of hours as travelling time has been cut to zero,” Rajani says are her top benefits as a result of working from home. Commonly, as we speak with clients and contractors, the top benefit has been not having to commute to work. However, having the ability to do some housework in breaks to free up ‘family time’ at night are amongst the main benefits.

Impact on future work

We asked Rajani if she could predict any impacts on projects or IT work in general moving forward. “Several IT projects will be reviewed and re-prioritised to cater for more financially constrained environment in the near future. This will surely have impact on the job opportunities in the IT industry,” she replied.

Unfortunately, it’s for these reasons that Rajani believes changes may impact her role and the role of others in the future. “I may not have a job or may have to move to part time arrangements,” she says. Yet it's not just the IT industry that will feel the impact of the current situation. I guess we will only know the full impact on many industries and the changes they'll need to make to stay afloat once the country reopens.

And our personal lives?

Being at home more often can results in the chance to brush up on skills and hobbies. Rajani decided it was time to learn new recipes and ‘dabble with baking.’ And when asked where will she head when Australia finally lifts all its restrictions, she says, “Visiting family will be the first outing planned as missing face to face discussions. Have been in touch with them online but it is just not the same.”

As we move away from tight restrictions within our homes, companies will slowly bring their staff back into the office. And for some, things will go back to how they were, but, for others, work will look completely different forever.

If you’re currently working from home and expecting to transition back into the office in the next few weeks, we’d love to hear about the changes to your workplace and how you feel they'll impact you.

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