Article excerpt from The Star, Tuesday 19 February 2008

RECENTLY, our prime minister responded to the dissatisfaction of the Malaysian public on the increasing cost of living.

He made a wise observation that the answer would not be in the control or decrease in prices of goods and services but to find ways for the average Malaysian to cope which can either mean an increase in income or a decrease in actual expenditure.

The most perceivable price increase today is the hike in petrol prices. This in turn causes the cost of everything else to soar.

But for most of us, we fill up primarily for our daily commute to and from work. What if we can implement what many developed countries have started to do, allowing employees to work from home?

I understand that for some of us, it’s not really possible. Admittedly, for some people who work at counters or where there is interaction with the public it is unavoidable and working from home is not possible.

But for others whose duties don’t require them to personally interact with people they may theoretically work from home.

Advances in communication technology have allowed us to accommodate this. With the Internet and current mobile communication devices, there really is no reason that with a little investment in hardware, an employee can’t be as effective - if not more so - working from home.

Imagine how much money can be saved from not having to drive to work every day. Even a 10% decrease in traffic will create less congestion on our roads, saving fuel for everybody, not to mention relief from the stress of being stuck in a traffic jam.

It will also be better for the vehicles as it would mean less maintenance costs. Less stress could mean less maintenance - health-wise - for drivers as well.

Parents can save money on day-care if they have young children and for the older children they can save on bus fares by being able to send and pick their children to and from school.

This not only helps the family to form better relationships by spending more time together but also ensures the safety of its younger members.

With less people at the office, companies can save on workspace and the day-to-day costs of electricity to power computers, air conditioners and lighting.

Businesses could even save on overtime expenses, as I’m sure most employees would rather forgo that right for the privilege of working from home.

Of course there is always a flip side to any idea. Some would say that for this to work, it requires employees that are trustworthy and responsible.

All I can say to this is, if you want people to behave like adults, you have to treat them like one.

Plus, there’s no reason why you can’t call employees to the office when needed, or even require them to come once or twice a week. Let’s try and come up with solutions, instead of waiting for the government to always fix it for us.

MALAYSIA BOLEH,
Shah Alam.

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