EMPlOYEES DiSPlAY vARiED FEEliNgS

Employees expressed mixed sentiments about returning to work from office.

Deepika, who works for a multinational company in Dubai, has been looking forward to returning to work as she feels more organised in an office set up. But she also has her reservations. “There is obviously lesser distraction, especially if you are a mother. But with the spike in Covid-19 cases, most of us are choosing to work from home.”

Malaysian expat Noor Nazri Talib, a petroleum specialist, said that dividing staff into different teams could be a solution that his company is considering. “In early March itself we were divided in two teams. But now with the rise in covid-19 cases, our office may think of having similar groups with lesser number of people in each team to maintain the 30 per cent cap. None of the teams were supposed to meet each other,” he added.

Filipino expat Patrick, who works in a logistics company in Dubai, said he had his inhibitions but would return to office if his employers asked to.

“The virus is not contained yet so the risk is always there. But I believe our employers do understand we all have families. So, I am sure they’ll also be flexible apart from following safety measures. However, common places like elevator and corridors can always pose infection fears. But given the current economic climate, we are in no position to resist or challenge our employer’s decision and will go, whenever I am called in.”