Home Office: Challenges and Opportunities in People Management

One of the most observed effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the workplace was the shift in the working regime for thousands of employees. They no longer needed to clock in at the office every day and instead began working from home. Initially, this shift to home office was "forced" due to the health crisis. However, over time, both employers and employees began to notice several advantages of this new arrangement, even though remote work is not universally favoured.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have become a staple in our daily lives through networks, hardware, applications, and platforms that facilitate communication and information exchange for various purposes. During times of social distancing, ICTs have gained even more prominence, especially in the workplace.

For those working from home, internet access and tools like WhatsApp, Zoom, and Hangouts are indispensable. However, the constant connectivity provided by these resources, particularly those available on mobile phones, can blur the boundaries between work, household chores, personal life, and leisure. In a world driven by an avalanche of information and online interactions, everything seems urgent. Before you know it, a work demand that could have been postponed in the past might intrude during your rest time.

ICTs intensify the workday and extend it into private life, leaving no space outside of work. Everything and every moment becomes work. You never truly rest. This takes a toll on both physical and mental health. Beyond the potential impact on privacy and family relationships, the way communication technologies extend working hours presents another issue: it becomes challenging to measure and adequately compensate for the time dedicated to work outside regular hours. Nevertheless, despite these necessary changes due to the exceptional circumstances we are living in, they must comply with laws, regulations, and decrees that seek to regulate how these changes occur.

This new relationship with work and time represents a genuine cultural shift, requiring discipline and reorganisation from workers. All the supports that enable communication connectivity demand proper self-management to work and redefine work norms that were previously in-person. There is a tension in developing new routines to implement work effectively.

It is also worth noting how this context demands the development of new skills for using ICTs, which particularly impact older and less educated workers. In this scenario, issues related to People Management are increasingly keeping business owners awake at night, especially those who had to adopt home office arrangements in their organisations.

At first, it seemed like the ideal situation: the ability to work from home, avoid commuting, and find a better balance between personal and professional life. But over time, the downsides of home office started to emerge for the millions of people who were able to enjoy this alternative during the coronavirus pandemic.

Poor internet connection, inadequate personal computers, uncomfortable chairs, increased scrutiny from superiors, difficulty performing the same tasks away from the office, isolation, and burnout. The list of negative consequences of remote work is long and could lead companies to face a wave of labour lawsuits in the coming years.

With this trend in mind, your mission in the MAPA activity is to identify how people management is adapting and finding ways to improve the home office experience. The objective is to find and analyse a company that has adopted home office as a working regime during the pandemic.

Your mission is to follow these steps:

1. Locate a company that has adopted (or still has employees in) home office. (This could be the company you work for – if it has a home office regime).

I chose the company I work for, IGT Solutions.

2. Contact the company's People Department to obtain permission to study how the company implemented home office.

There were no issues in obtaining permission. Vijay Kajla, the head of the People Management department, authorised the study. We have a great working relationship, and he was fully supportive of the initiative.

3. Gather information about the company: name, industry, years in the market, company history, products and/or services, etc.

Company Name: IGT Solutions

Industry: Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)

Years in the Market: 24 years

Company History: Founded in 1998 by Vipul Doshi, IGT Solutions is headquartered in Gurgaon, India. Initially focused on the travel industry, the company provides call centre and technology outsourcing services to its clients. Today, it operates in over 23 offices across all continents, serves more than 75 global clients, and employs over 20,000 people.

Products and Services: Business process and technology outsourcing solutions for other companies.

4. Interview the people manager to understand how the home office work regime was implemented. Use questions such as: When did the company adopt home office? Why? How was the implementation process? How long did the company use this model? Why did they stop? What were the main challenges? Did employees like the home office work model? etc. In this step, gather as much data as possible to support your report.

Rafael: When did the company adopt home office?

Vijay: At the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020. Recognising the risks to employees and the business, the operations management decided to shift to remote work.

Rafael: How was the transition?

Vijay: Initially, it was chaotic. We weren’t prepared. The office operated in three shifts, and there was no need for many computers. With the shift to home office, each employee needed their own computer, and the company didn’t have enough. The IT department struggled to prepare everything overnight. One day, everyone was working from the office; the next, everyone was at home.

Rafael: Besides the lack of computers, what other challenges did you face?

Vijay: Our company prioritises information security. There are many measures in place to protect client data, which means employees can’t access systems from personal computers. To ensure secure connections, we had to install VPNs on company machines. In Dubai, there are restrictions on VPN usage. Employees using the Du internet provider had no issues, but those with Etisalat faced VPN blocks. The temporary solution was remote access to office computers via Webex screen sharing. Our security officer, the only person allowed in the office, managed this locally while employees worked remotely. Later, our IT department secured approval from Etisalat for VPN connections.

Another challenge was transporting desktops to employees without cars. We solved this by delivering equipment to their homes. The company provided all necessary equipment, including cables and even chairs if requested.

Rafael: Was the shift to home office the right decision?

Vijay: Absolutely. Months later, the government imposed strict quarantine measures. Only essential workers could leave home with a company letter. Our business wasn’t considered essential, and we couldn’t provide such letters. If we hadn’t switched to home office, the financial impact would have been devastating.

Rafael: How did people management handle this?

Vijay: It was tough initially. We adopted MS Teams for better organisation and communication. Without time tracking, some employees overworked, leading to burnout, while others abused the flexibility. However, most saw a significant boost in productivity.

Rafael: Did the company provide any support to combat social isolation?

Vijay: Yes. We offered remote psychological support with licensed professionals. We also created an emergency fund where employees could contribute voluntarily, and the company matched contributions fivefold. Additionally, when vaccines became available, we secured doses for employees and their families, organising vaccination drives at our offices.

Rafael: Do employees like working remotely?

Vijay: Some do, especially those who save time on commuting. Others prefer office interactions and separating work from personal life. Some offices, like those in the Philippines and India, returned to on-site work due to government or client demands. In Dubai, we continue with home office.

Rafael: What’s the future plan?

Vijay: In Dubai, we’re moving towards a hybrid model, combining office and remote work. We believe this balances team integration and employee comfort.

5. Based on the data studied, make at least one (01) suggestion for improving the process, answering the following question: How could the home office work process be productive, enjoyable, and yield better results?

I believe home office isolates people too much. The sense of being part of a team is lost, and we become individuals focused solely on individual goals. While achieving individual targets contributes to overall success, there’s a lack of empathy when things don’t go as planned. This stems from the disconnection caused by remote work. The company should promote integration through regular team activities, either in the office or at other locations, to foster connections and collaboration.

6. Compile a report with all the data collected from the company, presented in a storytelling format. Storytelling is an English term. "Story" means history, and "telling" means to tell. More than a mere narrative, storytelling is the art of telling stories using techniques inspired by screenwriters and authors to convey a message in an unforgettable way. Use creativity and tell the company's story in an engaging manner, introduce the characters, the conflicts, the difficulties, and the proposed improvement.

In early 2019, news of a mysterious infection spreading in China made headlines, but life continued as usual. After all, China was far away—what did we have to worry about? How wrong we were. Soon, the virus reached every corner of the globe, causing panic, suffering, and loss. With no effective treatment, governments imposed strict measures: masks, border closures, and lockdowns. Supermarket shelves emptied as people prepared for the worst. The world we knew had changed forever.

At IGT Solutions Dubai, a company providing customer service for airlines, employees worked under these restrictions, filled with fear and anxiety. Mid-shift, operations manager Emanuelle announced that everyone would work from home starting the next day. The office fell silent. What happened? Why now? How would this work? With only two hours left in the morning shift, the company was unprepared for such a sudden change. The race against time began.

Harish, the IT lead, scrambled to configure systems for remote work. Computers needed secure VPNs, ethernet cables had to be purchased, and agreements with telecom providers negotiated. Meanwhile, Vijay, the people manager, faced his own challenges: calming anxious employees, addressing concerns about exposure, and providing support. Emanuelle coordinated with clients, ensuring service continuity while managing costs.

Initial tests revealed a critical issue: employees using the Etisalat internet provider couldn’t connect via VPN. The temporary solution was remote screen sharing through Webex, managed by Tabraiz, the security officer, who was allowed to work on-site. Rafael and Davide volunteered to deliver desktops to employees without transport, ensuring everyone had the necessary equipment.

A week later, the government imposed a strict lockdown. Only essential workers could leave home, and even then, with police approval. Thanks to the early transition, IGT Solutions Dubai avoided the financial losses suffered by other offices. Over time, Harish improved systems, securing VPN access for Etisalat users and implementing MS Teams for better collaboration. Emanuelle managed costs by reducing office bandwidth, cutting salaries temporarily, and ensuring client satisfaction with improved productivity.

Today, as the world adapts to a post-pandemic reality, IGT Solutions Dubai continues to work remotely. The future lies in a hybrid model, blending office and home work. The challenges of this transition are yet to come, but we’re ready to face them. The pandemic changed everything, and we’re still adapting to this new, more digital world.