Remote jobs have been a great alternative working idea and have become a bit rampant in my country since the era of the pandemic. A lot of companies were forced to embrace this opportunity then since that was the only option, and till date, the number of people working remotely has kept increasing.
My first time working remotely was three years ago, when I resigned from my 9-to-5 salary job due to motherhood duties. I remember receiving a good number of queries from my close friends because of my decision to quit my job for family, but it wasn't something I could control. I'm glad they understood me after much explanation, and I'm glad I took the decision back then. The MD of the company loved my input to the company and didn't want to let go of me completely; thus, he pleaded that I should be coming three times a week instead of five, but it was impossible still as my attention was needed at home.
He later hired someone who would be doing most of what I do physically for the company while I work from home on certain aspects that involve mailing, reporting, and contacting the company's potential clients. It was an opportunity for me to explore the internet more while at home, and it did help me discover other opportunities online, including the knowledge of crypto today, which has been helping me to pay bills at home.
A remote job has come through for most women like me who find it challenging to balance a career with child care. Imagine working for hours in the office and not having that quality time for the kids, but instead hiring a nanny to take care of children at home. As much as nannies assist greatly in caring for the kids, they can't replace the motherly care, bond, and love that exist between the kids and their moms. Good enough, we have the opportunity to work remotely while still taking care of our children adequately.
Although most establishments still have physical offices nowadays, so many of them do not work physically five days a week anymore, considering today's economy. Take, for instance, my brother, who works in the IT department of one of the commercial banks in Nigeria. Since last year, the company has scheduled all staff for the days they can report physically to the office, and that's mostly for staff meetings or training or perhaps for some minor work that needs to be done physically. If not, 40% of their salaries will go on the high cost of transportation, and some of these companies aren't ready to increase the staff salary much so it wouldn't affect their own income. So I see the inflation too as a reason why most companies embrace remote work and still achieve a good result in the end.
However, there are still some companies that cannot operate remotely due to the nature of their job, but maybe in the future, there will be a way to approach most jobs remotely, and people may not have the need to visit the office physically anymore. Until then, there's still a need for a physical office for most establishments to carry out their daily duties effectively.
What I discovered recently, especially in my country and in the state where I reside, is that most physical jobs are becoming unreasonable after plus and minus. Here in Lagos State, Nigeria, the rate of traffic jams is terrible. If one is to report to an office by 7 a.m., then such a person might leave home by 4 a.m., some by 5 a.m., respectively, in order to meet up with the time. Coming home, you might face another 3 to 4 hour traffic jam plus the high cost of transportation, coupled with the stress involved. This also affects the health of some people, and at the end of the month, you are left with little salary to survive, and sometimes it also affects productivity.
These days, I see some Nigerians working remotely for companies outside Nigeria. My brother is a good example, and this is really a plus and encouraging. I hope that this alternative work idea will be something globally accepted, as it will increase job opportunities and reduce unemployment, as well as the stress associated with a physical job for a healthier lifestyle.
This post was inspired by the #inleo community and my entry to the #MarchInleo monthly topic Day 21. Please check out the announcement post to get involved.
Thank you for reading.❤❤