REMOTE WORKING: THE NEW REALITY

There were already signs of it before the COVID-19 pandemic sent shock waves around the world and put our lives in a tailspin.

What had been the preserve of a select few rapidly became the norm as society adjusted to the realities of the suffocating grip of the pandemic.

But technological ingenuity came to the rescue.

The previous working-from-home privileges for some and necessity for others - either way very few in numbers - were replaced overnight by a mass shift in the work paradigm.

Whereas previously there had been concerns about productivity being negatively impacted if staff ‘stayed at home in their pyjamas’, that was quickly disproved.

In fact, productivity increased in many office-based areas of work. That is evidenced by how the world responded to COVID-19.

But llockdown did not result in a complete shutdown.

Business and government functions that did not require direct face-to-face public interaction literally ‘relocated’ to remote working.

Even in those cases where face-to-face interaction was required, rapid technological advances - some already in their developmental stage - surged to the fore.

Virtual reality became the new reality…until we returned to normal reality.

And since then, it has become the ‘new normal’.

Amidst the tragedy unfolding before us daily, life continued. Governments continued to function. Business continued to do business. Caymanian Times continued to publish.

Out of that experience, we too have had to make adjustments and have taken advantage of the opportunity to tap into the technology that kept us going through those tough times.

What was the lifeline then for us and many other businesses and government offices has become an essential part of our operation.

In our business of news and current affairs, we are required to consider all aspects of an issue. Therefore, we do acknowledge that some parts of society, especially businesses and governments have had different experiences with the new global trend of remote working/working from home than others. That is largely due to the nature of their particular operations. Let’s face it; there are some jobs and some tasks that simply cannot be done remotely. Or working from home.

The surge of massive office complexes over the past decade, a veritable home-away-from-home for millions of office workers for most parts of the day, has been forced to make adjustments to the new reality. Practical considerations, including costs, are causing a rethink and re-purposing of office buildings. Some staff members are now home-based...or even working remotely from another country.

Caymanian Times has been an ‘early adopter’ (as defined in technological terms) of international remote working. In addition to our in-country team, several of our contributors, editorial and business associates are based overseas.

Now, further tapping into the available and evolving technology, we are taking more of our business processes online.

It is clear that Cayman is at the forefront of technological advances in the region - and definitely globally with our financial services sector. Plus, our Tech City is indeed a trendsetter.

Effective March 18, 2024, our office will transition to an online office with 24/7 service. Customers can submit their requests, obtain information and make their payments by using online tools including email, telephone, Website, social media, online banking and more.

Join us as we embark on another bold step into this new virtual ‘real’ world - the new normal. Remote working 24/7.