CHALLENGES OF WORKING FROM HOME AND THE MITIGATION ACTIONS TO OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES FROM THE QUANTITY SURVEYORS’ PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Malaysian government took precautionary action to minimise the spread of the coronavirus with the implementation of the Movement Control Order. This move led to employees in non-essential sectors, including the construction sector, being required to work from home. This study aims to investigate the challenges of working from home and the mitigation actions to overcome the challenges from the perspective of quantity surveyors. A questionnaire survey was used for the data collection exercise. The responses of 360 participants were recorded and analysed. The data collected were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software using the frequencies, percentage and mean analysis. Cronbach’s alpha was used to measure the reliability of the questionnaire survey. The study found 11 working-from-home challenges from a quantity surveyors’ perspective, with overworking as the main challenge. Furthermore, 10 mitigation actions to overcome the challenges were discovered. Creating a dedicated workspace ranked first on the list. This study could provide insights into identifying the challenges and the mitigation actions to overcome said challenges. It would be beneficial for relevant stakeholders to look into these concerns and acknowledge them accordingly. This is also in line with the Sustainable Development Goal 8, which promotes a sustainable future for all, inclusive of economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work.