First, there was WFH; now, there’s WFA (Work from Anywhere). Companies like Spotify, Twitter, Square, and many more announced this month that they will allow all their employees to work anywhere they want perpetually. This further evidence that companies have discovered the need for teams to work in one physical space has diminished in this era where most office functions are accomplished more effectively without the team working physically in the same space.
The principles that Spotify applies to its WFA (Work From Anywhere) policy are very simple and make perfect sense: first, that work is an activity, not a place, and its effectiveness should not be measured by the number of hours we spend in an office. Second, that giving people the freedom and flexibility to choose where they work increases their effectiveness because it underpins a better work/life balance.
Spotify now joins organizations such as Tata Consultancy Services, Twitter, Facebook, Siemens, the State Bank of India, or some that were already applying WFA before the pandemic, such as the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), GitLab or Automattic, all of which are part of a trend that could see working from home or anywhere become a permanent feature of life.
On a Higher Level – Virtual Office and Coworking Shapes the New Work Environment
As WFA has been tested and proven to be productive, preferred, and cost-effective in many industries, we can expect to see this model continue to expand in the months ahead. It is entirely possible that in the near term, the future of office as we know will no longer be applicable and may transform to be more like a gym membership; a place shared by many and where members pay to go to accomplish specific goals, perhaps every day for some and once a week for others.
How Small Businesses in the Philippines are Coping
Small businesses were often left out during drastic shifts like this however with alternative office solutions like Virtual Office, small businesses and professionals can now leapfrog into the future by ditching traditional offices altogether and yet be able to maintain a legal and formal business presence.
With a Virtual Office, businesses are able to retain a prestigious business presence, have a trained executive assistant to answer their calls, receive their mails, and have access to office suites or meeting facilities when they need it and most importantly, Virtual Office is already approved by SEC, BIR and LGUs as alternative office solutions.
If you’re a business owner, do check out vOffice Switch Over for Free program to assist business owners to bounce back from the after-effects of this pandemic.
Find out more about vOffice at https://voffice.com.ph/virtual-office-manila/ or give them a call at 63-2-3224-2000.
