With more and more companies offering work from home option to their employees, there are lots of hurdles both employers and employees will be facing in the long run.

Of course, an organisation will easily be able to help create a proper workspace with ergonomic furniture, stable connectivity & uninterrupted power supply at home as these are critical for performance of an employee. They will also be able to get the right software and technology to address the monitoring part.

But the real dilemma will be in the motivational side.

While coming to office, people leave all their problems outside & put their everything at work. Decisions are made, problems solved, and jobs get done as a team. Help is always available. Employees have a sense of security, belonging & purpose. So, delivery is optimal.

But at home, people have to deal with their problems even while working. Family responsibility cannot wait until after office hours, it has to be dealt with then and there. Expectations of the family is also higher. Kids and spouse seek more time and attention & expect to share daily chores.

Compounding to this is a barrage of information about the pandemic & its spread. People are emotionally stressed in many ways. Even simple grocery purchases are a cause of anxiety, leave alone the worry of protecting themselves and their family. With no solution in sight, there is also an Economic pressure building within people. Possible pay cuts, sabbaticals or even losing their job are keeping people on their edge. They are worried of a possible disruption to their livelihood.

Though in the initial euphoria of no travel time, non-formal working may enhance performance in the short term, in the long term, all these factors are going to weigh in heavily on employees and will surely have an effect on performance and output.

Organisations need to creatively think on how to motivate people who work from home. They need to home deliver the comforts of office work - SENSE OF SECURITY, BELONGING & PURPOSE. This alone will keep the team motivated and performing in the long run.