HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRIPEVINE: OUR NEW ABNORMAL
Ever since this (place your most vilifying adjective here) pandemic began, a plethora of words, phrases and acronyms have cropped up and become part of our everyday vocabulary. Social distancing, pivot, PPE’s, and ECQ immediately come to mind. In other countries, where vaccination rates are higher, and a guarded sense of opening up has happened; “hybrid” used as an adjective, is on most everyone’s radar. And even here, it’s an integral part of any discussion of a post-pandemic world.
The two most common usages of hybrid are to describe events and the workplace. Events are simple enough, as it’s a blend of live and virtual, where a minimum number of physical awardees and/or guests are brought together with the host and prod people at a site, and they basically beam the event virtually to the rest of the interested parties/audience. It’s playing careful, while trying to give the audience the feel of the event being live and vibrant. It goes without saying that safety protocols at the location is a must.
The workplace or mode of work is the other subject where the descriptor hybrid is bandied about. As you can guess, it refers to blending WFH (Work From Home), with requiring employees to show up at the office on any given number of days a week. As vaccination figures rise, expect this to be the norm; as the common wisdom is that while the WFH concept has worked in terms of productivity to a degree unimagined in pre-pandemic times, there are still aspects of having people at the workplace that just can’t be replicated.
Using methodology that involved some 375 companies that subscribed to remote job postings, from all around the world; Greg Lewis, a LinkedIn Content Marketing Manager, wrote that Hybrid Work isn’t going away, if employees have their say. Some 87 percent of employees would prefer to stay remote at least half the time, even when it’s safe to return to the workplace. And while companies begin to welcome employees back to in-person workplaces, remote work “is still skyrocketing.”
IS THE hybrid ‘WFH, and reporting to the workplace’ the thing of the future?
Employers offering more remote job opportunities stand to attract better talent; this hybrid flexi-work issue is a top priority for candidates as surveyed between January 2021 to May 2021. From being the seventh most important factor when considering a new job, it shot up to fourth.
But the Glint data used for this LinkedIn report also mentioned a downside to hybrid work - and that would be the struggle with work-life balance. Sure there’s no commute, and you’re not stuck in the office for hours, but apparently, the clear boundaries between work and home life can get muddied.
On the employee side, there’s procrastinating and creating routine when stuck at home. Plus if you’re a Mom or Dad, the demands of the kids are now 24/7. On the employer side, giving the employee the liberty to stay at home, can translate to thinking work is now every moment of the day - both of the above negatively impacting on what used to be a clear delineation between work and home life.
So while the popularity of hybrid work will likely outlast the pandemic; be ready for issues regarding work-life balance, and how both employers and employees avoid burnout, to be pressing issues of this New Abnormal.
PAGCOR and the Paris Olympics
AT MALACANANG – PAGCOR Chairperson and CEO Andrea Domingo with Hidilyn Diaz, Carlo Paalam, Nesthy Petecio, and Eumir Marcial. PAGCOR Corp. Sec. Juanito Sanosa, Jr., on the far left, and PAGCOR VP Finance Recto Balthazar, Jr., at far right.
It’s evident that when we look back at 2021, one of the brightest lights will be the Tokyo Olympics performances of gold medalist weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, the silvers of boxers Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, and the bronze of Eumir Marcial. It’s the biggest haul of Olympic medals in our history, and the very first Gold.
At Malacañang, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) duly recognized the major and vital role that the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) played in this historic finish. This, while formally releasing the PAGCOR-funded cash incentives to our Olympic achievers. This release is mandated by Republic Act 10699, known as the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act, chargeable against PAGCOR’s contribution to the National Sports Development Fund. From 2016 to June 2021, PAGCOR has remitted P7.37 billion to the PSC.
The cash windfall was distributed as follows; Hildilyn Diaz got P15 million, Petecio and Paalam P5 million, Marcial P2 million, plus there were substantial cash incentives for Hidilyn’s trainer, and the boxing coaches. Swimmer Luke Gebbie, and weightlifter Elreen Ann Ando, each received P250,000 for setting new National Records during their Olympic participation.
As PAGCOR Chairperson Andrea Domingo was proud to say, “We will never tire in our effort to pump in the necessary support to athletic development, as we’re certain that more sports heroes will emerge in the future with ample financial backing.”
Just recently, I had the opportunity to ask Chairperson Domingo about Paris 2024 - which if you think about it, is just around the corner, given that the Tokyo Olympics was originally slated for 2020. In case you didn't know it, until very recently, Chairperson Domingo was an avid and competitive dance sport enthusiast. It was only the pandemic that put a temporary stop to her dancing.
She was visibly excited that break dancing will be an official Olympic event in Paris, as she enthused about how we have so many talented Filipino break dancers. I know she’s keeping her emotions close to her chest, but I can imagine how doubly proud she’ll be, if we take home a medal in Paris in Breaking.