After the industrial revolution, the participation of women has increased in the workforce outside of the home, and a certain increment has been seen in the 20th century. After women started participating in the workplace the economy and the standard of living have also increased. 

As per the survey by Deloitte Global, it was claimed out of 10 women, almost 7 women think that they have a negative impact in their routine because of the Covid-19 outbreak and they believe that their career progression has either stopped or slowed down.

In this survey, it was performed on almost 400 working women who were from 9 countries and from different career levels of seniority and different industries. These women claimed that COVID-19 has affected their mental and physical health, daily routine, and their careers. They have lost their work-life balance and well-being. The survey shows how the pandemic could threaten the progress made on gender equality in the workplace in the last few years.

From making flexible working the norm to addressing microaggression in the workplace, there are 6 critical areas to focus on for employers to take actions and ensure that women continue to advance in the workplace, as per the suggestions given from the survey.

The employees including both men and women have either considered leaving and actually left their companies at comparable rates since 2015. But the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic and the new work environment after this pandemic have completely changed that landscape.

The work from home trend started after the COVID-19 pandemic and because of lockdowns and shutdowns in many countries’ women are doing more work from home. As per the survey, 37% of women are opposing work from home because they have to work full time and long that they have to take care of their family.  

89% of them believe that their personal life and daily routine have changed and had a huge negative impact. 48% of women claimed that they have to work three times more than pre-COVID-19 levels in caregiving responsibilities.

Working mothers have to take care of both their work, children’s responsibility, and homeschooling responsibilities, so they have to do “double-double” shifts. 40% of working women who experience negative shifts in the daily routine say they are unable to balance their work and life commitments with nearly 40% citing significant consequences to their physical and mental well-being.

Women’s see pandemic as a threat to their working life

Women need to give half of the time to their work which has affected both their personal responsibilities and their careers. Many women reported that if this pandemic and work from home culture will continue then they will either take a career break or leave the workforce entirely. 

Companies need to rethink work norms

COVID-19 has a huge impact on women’s representation in both terms of decisions companies made reorganization and potential attrition due to women stepping out of the workforce. 

Attrition is not a driver in the difference between men’s and women’s representation, but this could be different next year, possibly as a result of the shift to remote work.

Companies need to take measures and rethink about redesigning their new workplace or else take this risk where women will  either struggle to stay at work or will leave the workplace. For both men and women the major issue was Work-life flexibility. Companies across different geographies anticipate that increasing flexibility could allow them to have a large number of customers and clients. 

So, managers or leaders need to rethink some previous workplace norms such as what productivity looks like, or supporting employees’ mental health, or fostering inclusion in a remote setting,” says Jess Huang, a co-leader of Women in the Workplace research.

Starting a side business is ethical until it is legally clear. But sometimes you have to be careful while starting a side business while employed. However, if you are conscious of the potential issues that can arise, you must keep these four suggestions in your mind.

• Understand the agreements before you sign

When you start a job, you have to sign the employment contract or non-disclosure agreement or both. Carefully, examine each agreement before signing them. The future success of your side-business is dependent upon carefully analyzing these agreements. If you are unsure about anything then you should consult your new business plans with a trusted attorney.

• Decide whether to tell about your side business to your boss or not

After you have finished reading various agreements, you must think about whether to tell the HR Management or employer about it. If you decide not to tell and if it takes much of your time towards your side business, then you could compromise your job.

On the other hand, if you tell your boss that you want to do a side-business, it creates transparency and trust. Also, ensure that this will not affect your regular work. Also, if you leave your job after your business became strong and well-developed, it will not be a shock for them as they already knew it.

• Don’t let your side-business take you away from your current job unless it has developed successfully

Unless your side business has grown, don’t let it interfere with your job. You can put the extra time after working hours for your side-business but in the working hours, you have to work for your organization.

If you want to start it during working hours then make sure that none of the office-supplies whether it is a computer in the office, online tools, or software solutions are given to you by your employer should be used for business work. If you wish to put your effort into your side hustle then you must do it after your regular working hours.

• Work from home makes it easier 

The beauty of working remotely is you can simultaneously focus on your side business. It wouldn’t be ethical while working in the office. As long as you are putting your 100% into your full-time job, no-one can stop you to work towards your side business.

Starting a side-business is perfectly ethical. The only condition is that it shouldn’t affect your regular job because if you fail to set up your side-business successfully then you could also get your reputation tarnished and put your business’s legal stand jeopardized.

Over the last decade of the 90s, high-speed internet, a proliferation of devices has brought a huge impact in the lives of people. Changing attitudes about work from home has completed the dreams of many people around the world. As per a survey in America, half of all American employees work at home and prefer to work from home. 

Many people dream of working at home and being their own boss. It can be possible in today’s world. There are many ways through which a person can start a business or any work from home albeit with varying degrees of investment and experience.

Here are some interesting business ideas that promote work from home:

1. Affiliate Marketer

Affiliate marketing is a simple referral marketing where a person can earn a commission. It means that if any person opens a website and refers to a book on Amazon. Then when users click on the affiliate link and buy the book, Amazon will pay you a percentage of the sale as per the rate of the book. Several people are loving and promoting affiliate marketing because they can earn money passively with few startup costs and from home.

2. Freelance Writing

The positive point behind freelance writing is that a freelancer can never sell himself. This is an independent job, a person who is fond of reading online articles and loves to convey messages or the facts on given incidents happening around them. There are so many job listings for freelancers on major job boards. Once you start this job don’t be afraid to go to previous clients and ask for more work. Steady work is considered best work for freelancers or you can start by writing blogs.

3. Graphic Designer

Many businesses are hiring graphic designers who can design their logos, websites or visual ads. Once a graphics designer gets a degree or certification in this area he/she can earn up to $45,000 and up annually. The more skilled a graphics designer is, the more clients they will get. A graphic-design business offers an enormous opportunity to people, the things that require is to be creative with your business model and do something nobody else is doing.

4. Home Tutoring

Many parents prefer home tutors for their children and due to ongoing crises, the demand for a home tutor has increased a lot. Due to soo much competition to get into top universities has nervous parents and because of this, they are willing to pay handsomely for tutoring their kids. A person who is good in an area of expertise—math, and specifically SAT math preparation, is always a favorite. 

5. Blogger

Blogging is inexpensive and very easy to start. If anyone is interested in trying different kinds of foods then they can try as a food blogger. If someone is having a good taste in clothes and knows what a perfect outfit means, how can a man or woman style their dresses then they can go as a fashion icon or blogger. There are so many bloggers on various social media platforms or are earning quite good from their homes.

6. Craft Creation

Crafts creation is a very creative platform. Many people are doing crafts creation and then sell them through online websites or by creating their own page on social media. It’s one of the first ideas where people can start a business: making and selling crafts. Create a product line and choose a distribution channel (online, craft fairs, etc.), and then just stick with your plan and remember to be creative.

7. Stylist

If a person loves fashion and wants to start work from home, then they can become an online stylist. There are several sites who are hiring online stylist tutors or you can become their stylist. Some Stylists are earning up to $15 an hour. 

8. Translator

If you are good at speaking 4-5 languages and want to earn impressive money then you can become a translator. Many companies and online sites are hiring translators. A person can start by translating documents or becoming an interpreter.

9. Web Developer

If a person has done some courses in web development then they can become web developers for some sites and companies. Depending on the specific job, a person can earn between $55,000 and $175,000 annually by making a site from scratch. 

10. Bookkeeper

Believe it or not, bookkeeping is quite an amazing field. A person can sign up for bookkeeping courses at a community college or online. Once the course is completed, a person can earn up to $34,000. 

COVID-19 is slowly turning into clear that it is going to remain for a long time. This has made organizations realize that a big part of their workforce will proceed to do business from home for longer than anticipated. 

To make sure the productivity of their employees, many companies are making certain that they’re able to work comfortably from home. Companies are not only offering laptop computers and web connections they are also availing ergonomic chairs and research tables to make sure their well being and wellness as they clock in lengthy work hours from home.

In accordance with the requests made, around 300 ergonomic chairs have been delivered to employees whereas 20,000 large-sized displays and keyboards have been additionally moved to workers’ residence. Precedence was given to workers with identified well-being points, mentioned Pawani. Around 9,550 UPS have been additionally procured and delivered to workers who have been important and buyers going through roles to assist them with uninterrupted energy supply.

Not all companies delivered instantly, many select to reimburse them for the purchases made to arrange the workplace at the house. To make digital working seamless, Walmart Labs began reimbursing the workers not only for IT but additionally bodily infrastructure necessities, says its Vice President – Individuals, Sudeep Ralhan. 

The company said that the workers can avail reimbursements for web, mini-UPS, and headphones and ergonomic desks or chairs since March 2020. For household assistance, even the price of nanny companies is borne by the agency as workplace creche is closed.

Companies are often offering equipment to their employees to make their homes look like an office so that they can be dedicated to their work and can feel that they are working at an office. The idea was quite inspiring and impressive. Many companies have joined this idea to encourage their employees to resume the work from their home with an office feel. 

Niharika Bhide, who works at GCC-AB InBev said in a statement that she was also among the 400 employees who received office chairs from her company and now she is doing work from home but she almost feels like working in her office.  Her home gives her professional vibes like her office and it helps her to keep focusing on her tasks rather than working in discomfort.  It gives her a cheerful environment and she is lucky to be part of her company and is enjoying her work. 

As it has been expected that the COVID-19 pandemic will stay longer and its effects will be for more time period. So many companies have resumed their work by giving tasks to their employees and have asked them to continue their work from home which is quite necessary for people to help themselves to earn a livelihood and at the same time be safe and maintain social distancing.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Work-from-home culture took a hype. Many employees and business owners are strongly encouraging work from home culture. As the movement is intended to maintain the efficiency of people during such tough times. Like it is said that a coin has two sides: head and tail, or we can say everything in this world has some boon or bane, the Same applies to this case. 

The positive and negative side of it varies from person to person. This culture has bought a lot of changes in working lifestyles. It seems like the energy that used to be drained while traveling has been utilized properly now on working. It also solved the issues of many office workers who are facing accommodation problems and many inconveniences. 

Work-from-home is very efficient for people because of this now people can stay connected with their family 24*7 and at the same time they can perform their daily tasks with their co-workers through virtual contact. 

It is considered a healthy lifestyle as it is time-saving, money-saving, and helps to reduce pollution which is one of the serious issues the universe was facing. Many people struggle with work-life balance and hopefully, this routine helped them to balance.

At the same time, work-from-home criteria have some negative effects too. As it is considered a less structured environment which makes people less productive and serious about their work life. Companies or work fields that are still not tech-friendly are facing the issue of being fully productive. Maybe everyone will take time to adapt to this new style of a working environment, as everyone has their way of working. 

According to some research, it is found that work-from-home makes you better at some tasks, and worse at others. It gives you a new opportunity to work from anywhere, from your comfort zone. Several surveys present that people are choosing the work-from-home(WFH) model instead of going to offices and their productivity increases up to 13% and they feel more comfortable in such an environment. 

Now it’s the company’s choice whether they want to leave it on their employees to choose their interest type of working or want to impose the same criteria for everyone?

Are you ready to promote WFH Culture after the pandemic as well?