Abstract
When the World Health Organization (WHO) announced COVID-19 as a pandemic on 11th, March 2020, the lockdown of almost all sectors brought a new definition of a work style into the work life, which is either called remote work or working from home. It may seem to most of the people that this is a new working style that is designed in pandemic. However, this is not really a new way of working. Remote working had already been defined in International Labor Organization's Remote Work Convention in 1996, and it is stated that this working style is used for people who work for specific periods away from their home such as seafarers in the maritime sector or field workers who work in such as oil and gas, chemicals and farm industries, or choose different places to work other than the employer's workplace.
TopIntroduction
In the beginning of 2020, when the World has faced with the spread of a virus namely the Covid-19 pandemic, a large number of the World’s workforce have been transferred to work at home. The virus has influenced all people in the World. Many sectors have been affected by the Covid 19, many people changed their life and work styles in order to protect themselves from the virus. Then this has caused many other changes in people’s lives that also brought many new challenges into the work life balance as well as daily life balance.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Remote Work: Remote work is the type of work carried out by a person in his or her home or in other premises other than the workplace of the employer of his or her choice, which results in a product or service as specified by the employer, irrespective of who provides the equipment, materials or other inputs used.
Employee Rights: Employee rights that are defined in the international and national legal instruments are decent work and freedom to reach equal opportunities, a reasonable salary, healthy and safe workplace, right to privacy, specific hours working in a day, in a week and in a month, overtime rights and conditions, rights to annual leave and not to work in national or religious holidays and protection against discrimination. Work-life balance and occupational health are also considered as employee rights.
Mental Health: Mental health is a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. Mental health is important to keep employees motivated and ensure the concentration on their occupation and to help developing their career plans.
Digitalization: Digitalization is the use of digital technologies to change a business model and provide new revenue and value-producing opportunities. It is the process of transformation to a digital way of business by using technology and digital platforms.