UNAIR NEWS – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati was concerned with the youngsters’ preference for working from home (WFH) over working from the office (WFO), even when COVID-19 has subsided. During her visit to the US, she found the generation gaps, where the youngsters would rather spend time in their parents’ homes.
Not long ago, a petition calling for WFH was signed by tens of thousands of people. This happened when the COVID-19 cases significantly subsided. It means WFH is no longer necessary.
Sociologist and Professor of the Faculty of Political Science and Social Sciences (FISIP) Universitas Airlangga Prof. Dr. Sutinah Dra MS shared her professional views. She believed it was the impact of social changes, one of which was when the digital era boomed.
“When I was young, to work was to go to the office. People who work not in the office weren’t considered working. And now, it experiences a big transformation as the technology develops,” she said.
There are other factors that drive the new pattern, such as time efficiency, productivity improvement, no significant distractions, no traffic, and comfort. Besides, the employees get to manage their time flexibly, not just morning to afternoon.
“There may be people who want to work in the early morning or late amidst the quiet of the night with minimum distractions,” she said.
Prof. Sutinah believed that employees get to manage their spare time for productive activities. It is such a breath of fresh air for the millennials who enjoy the flexibility and minimum pressure.
“We often find workplace conflicts with coworkers, not physical fights. We find competition, something that ignites jealousy, which we don’t find at home,” she added.
However, human sociologically still needs social interaction. Even on technology-based interaction, which goes beyond space and time, direct social interaction is still needed. It will improve human understanding of the interlocutors better than technology.
“In the digital community, we still need social interaction. It’s a basic human need to function. Even with online interactions, a direct one is still highly necessary,” the professor said.
Author: Afrizal Naufal Ghani
Editor: Nuri Hermawan
