I sometimes visit my friend’s information technology company, which employs around 10 staff, most of whom work from home. The space only contains some office equipment and a decently designed conference room to meet clients. That’s why I can use his office when I need it. During the protests last year and the current threat of the new coronavirus, my friend’s company has been running as usual, simply because the employees need not work at a specific location under a rigid schedule. The concept of “ working from home ”, also known as flexible workplace practices, is not new to us. We hear of it all the time. However, how many of us really enjoy such flexible working arrangements? Now, as of January 29, civil servants are being asked to work from home, with private enterprise urged to do the same. However, working from home is largely an emergency measure but not the usual practice in Hong Kong. This, despite the practice having grown popular in Western countries in the past decade. The percentage of employed people in the European Union who sometimes work from home has increased steadily, from 7.7 per cent in 2008 to 9.6 per cent in 2017. Surge of Chinese employees working from home crashes office apps This is because these flexible workplace practices improve the work-life balance of employees in a manner which is consistent with business goals. These practices also help businesses to recruit and retain staff, and reduce absenteeism and turnover rates, increasing workplace productivity. This benefit is also in sync with a new trend in working culture – the multiple job worker or “ slashie ”. Besides, these practices could also help our government and businesses survive unexpected crises such as protests, traffic turmoil and highly infectious diseases. What impedes the development of such win-win practices in Hong Kong? Our IT infrastructure, one of critical elements for these practices, is already well-developed. The broadband penetration rate is around 93 per cent for households and 100 per cent for commercial premises, while the mobile phone penetration rate is already over 200 per cent. Another favourable element is our taxation system, which allows an employee to claim outgoings and expenses necessarily incurred in the production of his or her income. Perhaps the ultimate obstacle is mindsets. It is time we discussed this. Orwell Lai, Sha Tin