Teleworking will go beyond COVID

During an interview on NETLIVE this week, Perit David Xuereb weighed in on the impacts of Covid-19 on employment from a teleworking point of view.

“Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the world had to resort to new work operations, and teleworking is one of such solutions that it is crucial to build on and explore further. It is vital to note that teleworking does not only provide a more flexible and dynamic approach to work but also has positive impacts on other areas such as the environment and transport” remarked Perit Xuereb.

In view of the drastic increase in active cases in the past weeks, the Chamber President insisted that lessons shouldn’t be forgotten. “We must not forget the lessons learnt. As a Chamber of Commerce, we greatly recommend to all employers to actively consider teleworking in the fight to decrease the numbers of cases, and maintain productivity”

“In a recent press release, The Malta Chamber called on all employees to actively provide remote working solutions, where possible, to employees in order to avoid further economic restrictions thus aiding in prioritising national health resources to the most vulnerable,” remarked The Chamber President.

Perit Xuereb also pointed out the emergence of the ‘gig economy’, a free market system in which temporary positions are common and organizations hire independent workers for short-term commitments. Hence, the methods in which output is measured needs to be revisited. “Employers need to be aware of this new reality and that the element of ‘flexibility at work’ definitely needs to be addressed, especially in terms of the employee of the future” said Xuereb.

“The Malta Chamber is deeply concerned for industries which find it difficult to introduce teleworking due to the nature of their operations, such as manufacturing,” said the President. “Covid-19 has impacted greatly the workforce of such industries while manufacturing companies are facing new expenditures,” he said.

“Teleworking will go beyond Covid. We need to work together, as employees and employers alike, to re-align and adapt to such new realities” concluded Perit Xuereb.