We get it - it’s easy to feel a whole range of emotions during these uncertain times...fear, frustration, stress. While adapting to these changes can be difficult for most people, it’s so important to start by acknowledging that this is happening and it's normal to feel this way.
So we launched our #WorkFromAnywhere Policy in order to empower our colleagues to be the best versions of themselves, wherever they choose to (and this includes our offices too!)
Now, three months in, we reached out to a few of our Kitopians from all around the region to weigh in on this policy, and to understand what their version of #WorkFromAnywhere is:
What does #workfromanywhere mean to you?
Mansoor: Working from places well equipped to do my job efficiently (stable internet connection!)
Bader: Work from anywhere is being able to perform your job with no obstacles.
Katarzyna: Most days of the week I work from the office, but thanks to #workfromanywhere I have a peace of mind, that in case of a lockdown or extremely cold weather, I have the option to stay home and work from there.
How has #workfromanywhere impacted your life?
Sarah: It was hard at first to adjust to working from anywhere, especially that it came during the quarantine period so the only option we had was home. The hard part about working from home was setting a limit to work and having to differentiate your private life from your work life. I reached a point where I was attached to the laptop until 12AM, but by time, I adjusted. Now I like the work from anywhere policy because of the freedom it allows.
Katarzyna: The possibility of working from anywhere helps me organize my job as well as my personal life for the better. I live in another city, so it's very helpful for me to stay home once or twice a week.
Sally: The good is being able to attend a parent-teacher conference and working while waiting for the teacher to pop up. The downside sometimes is not knowing how to switch off and taking meetings at all hours of the day.
What do you like about #workfromanywhere?
Bader: It has created a sort of comfort, and flexibility towards the job. And it has proven that some aspects of the job does not require the presence of the employee.
Sarah: As mentioned, I like the freedom of it. After months of distress, I finally found a routine that worked perfectly for me and allowed me to be productive and efficient while not overworking myself.
Abdo: I enjoy having my own space to freely do my job.
What do you dislike about it?
Bader: I dislike the fact that I am alone, and not with my peers at work, as with time they have become more like family.
Sarah: It affects my productivity sometimes. Some days I need to be sitting in an office working rather than from home, but now that I found different coffee shops with the right office vibe it has helped me change my scenery and focus on my work.
Abdo: My home turned into an office and IT store too.
What’s the one difference between working from the office and working from anywhere?
Mansoor: Reduced social interactions between colleagues. Zoom calls help, but the conversation is always led by the meeting’s topic. Whereas having small chat in the office with different departments gave insights on other Kitopian’s projects. I really miss that in our startup's fast paced environment.
Sarah: The lack of communication with those around you. It is energizing to talk to your colleagues and have breaks together, and working from home changed that.
Katarzyna: For me, the main difference is working with people. Work from anywhere gives you the possibility to work alone when you need or work in the office when you need to personally with coworkers.
Bader El Mostafa (Brand Excellence Manager, KUW) | Mansoor Qureshi (Technical Support Analyst, UAE) | Sarah Darwazeh (Brand Excellence Executive, KSA) | Abdo Abdelrahman (Systems Administrator, KUW) | Katarzyna Szczygieł (Quality Assurance Engineer, Poland) | Sally Swanepoel (Accounting Director, UAE)