Internet connection, poor workplace design affect work-from-home productivity

Carlo S. Lorenciana

Sunstar[Sunstar](https://www.sunstar.com.ph/) 8 May 2020

WHILE several companies have been forced to allow their employees to work from home (WFH) amid the Covid-19 crisis, such setup may not work well in the Philippines. Blame it on poor connectivity.

“WFH is not sustainable in the Philippines for many reasons,” property analyst David Leechiu said, citing the poor telecommunications connectivity as a top problem.

Reliable internet connection is the lifeblood of a WFH setup.

Demand for data has surged in recent weeks as most people stay home amid strict quarantine measures to combat the spread of Covid-19.

Based on Speedtest Global Index, the Philippines ranked 116th in the world for mobile speed and 104th for fixed-line internet during March 2020.

Average mobile and fixed broadband speeds in the Philippines still fall below the global average.

In March 2020, the country’s average mobile internet download speed of 14.24 megabits per second (Mbps) was far below the global average of 26.12 Mbps.

Average download speed of 23.80 Mbps for fixed line internet was also slower than the global average of 57.91 Mbps.

The Philippines is aiming to boost internet access quality with the introduction of a third major telco player, which can challenge the duopoly of PLDT and Globe.

Other factors

Aside from connectivity, distractions at home and lack of convenience also make remote work even more challenging.

“It is simply too hot (to work from home) because 70 percent of households do not have roof insulation nor air-conditioning nor access to clean water,” the Leechiu Property Consultants founder said.

He also suggested the potential rise of corporate fraud in a WFH system.

“Corporate fraud will accelerate significantly because in WFH, there is very little supervision and therefore there is more risk for fraud and corruption across all levels,” he said.

Looking forward, Leechiu said that once companies start going back to their normal operations, demand for office space could significantly pick up.

For some companies, the social distancing has required more office space. For instance, companies with a thousand people usually occupy 6,000 square meters of office space. Once lockdown measures are lifted, many companies will observe social distancing at the workplace.

“(This) will require them to need 9,000 to 12,000 square meters temporarily, while social distancing is necessary. So, this will create more demand,” Leechiu said.

Source: https://ph.news.yahoo.com/internet-connection-poor-workplace-design-121000337.html