Fear of Missing Out

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, more and more people are getting used to working from home (WFH).  It has been noted that there are more job seekers requesting for WFH.

Some will deny this, but these are the reasons (not exhaustive) I feel many people prefer to work from home:

1.   Can wake up later;

2.   No need to travel to work place, hence saving some money on transportation;

3.   Can steal time at home to do personal stuffs;

4.   Not being watched by the boss and colleagues;

5.   Can spend time with family/send children to school etc.

I am not against the idea of WFH, because it depends on the nature of the work, and it depends on the boss.  The purpose of this blog is to give awareness of another group of people with a different thinking regarding WFH.

Some people prefer to work in the office, due to the nature of their work.  But there are also people who prefers to work in the office because of FOMO, the Fear of Missing Out.  Sometimes, this relates to Kiasuism in local context.  Reasons for FOMO include:

1.   The need to be around colleagues, so that they know what the others are doing, so that they do not lose out.

2.   To be able to see the boss and other colleagues face-to-face, to be able to learn more effectively, compared to just video calls now and then.

3.   To allow the boss to see how hardworking we are.

4.   The need to be around people (social animals).

So, there is no right or wrong whether to work from home or not.  We need to understand the nature of our work, and also to be aware of how our boss think.  Do not let one moment of wanting personal convenience dictate how we work, and losing our job eventually.

Do you enjoy what you do each day?