Tech firm equips staff to work from home

Grace Otieno, who works for technology firm Samasource.

The year 2020 will go down in history as the time when life almost came to a halt.

Workers were shooed out of offices and streets and into their living rooms. But in the process, Covid-19 inadvertently brought families closer together.

“Working from home has enabled my schedule to be more flexible, which allows me extra time to spend with my son who just turned one,” says Grace Otieno, who works for technology firm Samasource.

Ms Otieno also got a chance to carry on a personal business on the side.

“Working remotely has also expanded opportunities for me especially in regards to setting up my side hustle. I get to promote my homemade peanut butter quite easily and increase sales through digital platforms.”

Samasource focuses on providing training data for artificial intelligence.

For the staff, it facilitated remote working for its teams and established consistency by providing employees with the necessary tools and required gadgets to access the internet.

This was the way companies that wanted to have a realistic chance of survival went.

The coronavirus pandemic’s onslaught on jobs left debris that may take years to clear.

As companies fired employees, the most resilient did everything to retain their staff.

Caroline Achieng, who also works at Samasource, has had a chance to support her family as many other people who have lost jobs became dependent on their kin and friends who retained jobs.

“Earning a living at a time when so many people have unfortunately lost their jobs has aided in meeting the needs of my family. I have also been able to strengthen our bonds through regular interactions,” she says.

The virus was expected to cause panic but the company gave them a priceless solution - facilitating remote working while allowing them time for their personal errands.

“While remote working allows me to continue performing my duties as expected and wherever I deem fit, it has also enabled me to venture into e-commerce where I run an online clothes business,” says Achieng.