IT may be time for the country to consider adopting some of the preventive methods used to curb the spread of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, which ravaged the world less than a decade ago.
The concept of working from home is one of the strategies used during the pandemic, which, according to the latest count by the World Health Organisation, has claimed over seven million lives since 2019.
Besides donning face masks when outdoors or when sick, working from home remains a viable option for many employers, and now more than ever, it should be seriously considered, especially for the Malaysian workforce, who are increasingly wired up in this digital age.
Employers must also be conscious of the heatwave in the country, the growing congestion levels and the fuel crises due to the Iran war.
Already, our neighbours, the Philippines, have adopted a policy to conserve fuel, while Thailand and Laos have reported long lines at their petrol kiosks.
Relevant authorities such as the Malaysian Employers Federation and the Human Resources Ministry have not addressed the issue convincingly enough, but the time has come to make working from home a permanent signature on labour laws.
Presently, many multinationals have adopted it as a cost-saving measure, but it should now be legislated through a practical approach.
We do not need a knee-jerk reaction but a subtle manner of easing it into how the workforce needs reforms and transformation to address the current challenges.
Firstly, we have to be mindful that the civil service is the biggest employer in the country, and if they start by example, it may help raise awareness and drive the momentum that working from home should be lauded.
Secondly, there is a need to help senior citizens cope with the digital age by exposing and training them on how to use their devices for online transactions, including in e-banking and e-payment systems.
There is also a need to fight online scams effectively, as they have scared the old from venturing into the digital age confidently.
Thirdly, there needs to be a key performance index (KPI) drawn up to measure the productivity of those working from home.
Lastly, there is a need to offer incentives to employers to encourage the working-from-home culture.
The prospects of reducing congestion, hence our carbon footprint is a big incentive for the culture to prevail, although it will also drive up the electricity rate in residences, which Tenaga National Berhad (TNB) is already subsidising.
But it can be offset if there is a profound reduction in congestion (air pollution), and those on the roads should just revolve around ride-sharing services and food deliveries, as well as other essential services such as medical care.
The major downside would be the less need for commercial office space, and it may impact the property sector, but we are living in an area where we need to grow more trees than concrete blocks.
The roads are already littered with holidaymakers, and adding to the volume of congestion should not be ideal when we are dealing with a triple effect of congestion, heatwave and now a fuel supply crisis.
EV (electrical) vehicle dealers need to consider reducing the pricing if they are sincere about the notion of fighting climate change through electronics.
Working from home can be part of the six- day working week.
It does not cover all job scopes, but in the civil service, where many employees are usually seated, it should be considered.
For the private sector, it is not as easy nor practical; for example, journalists need to be outdoors for their news gathering, but with news breaks occurring on digital platforms through social media, the number of times they are out in public is markedly reduced.
In all, now is the time to consider working from home seriously and systematically.
The heatwave is not going away; we are paying the price of rapid development without understanding its aftermath.
Climate change, despite what some quarters may say, is here to stay at least for a foreseeable period.
The "El Niño and La Niña" weather phenomenon is mentioned more than ever.
And now the fuel price is also driving the economy into a profound downturn and uncertainty, with recession teetering on the edge.
Let's cultivate the adage of "prevention is better than cure."
With less demand, the fuel prices can be stabilised, regardless of whether the war in Iran rages on - March 25, 2026.
