Online work .. Blessing in Disguise

By: Muawad Mustafa Rashid

During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work (online) became more prevalent due to the lockdown conditions imposed on in-person workers in multi-purpose companies and all institutions. Since then, remote work has become a tangible reality, making it a new business model with significant benefits. It may even have eclipsed in-person work, as it has increased the revenues of many companies and businesses. For example, the Zoom app saw a more than 350% increase in revenue in the second quarter of the pandemic year, with profits increasing by nearly tenfold. Meanwhile, companies have adopted video conferencing to connect employees working off-site during the pandemic.

Remote work, or working from a location outside a traditional office, is a flexible work arrangement where employees use digital tools to perform their duties. This model offers benefits like increased work-life balance and cost savings for employees, and benefits such as higher employee satisfaction and reduced resource costs for companies. Common forms include fully remote, where an entire company or team works remotely, or hybrid models.

Remote work is a work style that enables employees to perform their job duties in a location other than the traditional workplace, such as home or a shared workspace, using technological tools such as email, video conferencing, and social media to achieve greater flexibility and a balance between work and personal life.

Remote work requirements vary, but generally include personal skills such as self-motivation, self-organization, and effective communication skills, as well as technical tools such as a computer, a good internet connection, and a suitable home work environment. Some organizations also set their own requirements through remote work policies, which may include eligibility criteria, communication protocols, performance evaluation mechanisms, and data security measures.

The benefits of remote work include enhancing flexibility and independence for employees and freelancers, increasing productivity, and reducing the cost of commuting between work sites. It also contributes to reducing operational costs for companies, such as energy and resource consumption, providing job opportunities for people in remote areas, and promoting environmental sustainability. Remote work also leads to improved health, as it provides more time for exercise and healthy eating, which positively impacts employee physical and mental health. It also relieves employees of work-related stress resulting from personal conflicts and conflicts due to overlapping duties or professional jealousy. Remote workers feel more in control of their work environment and how they complete their tasks, which increases satisfaction and boosts their positive energy.

We in Sudan are in dire need of remote work these days, given the exceptional circumstances the country is experiencing, including a brutal war that has resulted in displacement, asylum, and unemployment.

This type of work provides many people with an alternative to traditional work. Through it, the entire family becomes a producer rather than a consumer. Everyone owns a phone or laptop, through which they can market a wide range of products and services. Our country is rich in vast resources and abundant production in all fields. Remote work extends beyond traditional products to intellectual production. It provides an opportunity for authors, writers, academics, trainers, designers, and content creators to present their work to the world by publishing and marketing it through social media groups and other media and applications.

Many Sudanese waste precious time in vulgar chats, arguments, and fruitless discussions on social media. These useless, ineffective, and unproductive activities only foster discord and increase discord among people. This time would be better spent on beneficial activities that benefit everyone.

Today, Sudanese people are experiencing harsh conditions at home and abroad.

Overcoming these conditions requires horizontal and vertical production, and remote work provides this. The only thing the state needs to do is pay more attention to the communications infrastructure, ensuring the quality of technology and keeping pace with the latest developments around the world. It also requires reducing consumption rates by innovating innovative marketing methods, such as providing Wi-Fi services to individuals and groups. Communication is no longer a luxury or a luxury; it is a necessity, if not the spirit of the era we live in today. Therefore, it must be a top priority for the state, as it is key to all aspects of life. Through it, e-government, governance, and all official and commercial transactions are established. It also promotes the values ​​of transparency and integrity, and opens up the world through the exchange of benefits, cultures, and knowledge.

There is no room anymore for complaining about poverty due to unemployment, the spaces are open and the provisions of Allah Almighty are vast and extended without limits and you do not know where your provision is, it may be next to your bed that you sleep on, trust in Allah, O Sudanese, and start from your room in your home.. You can run a business that may bring you huge sums of money, the Almighty says in his perfect revelation: “And in the heaven is your provision and that which you are promised” (Al-Dhariyat, verse 22)