Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1264355
12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 JUNE 2020 OPINION DURING the COVID-19 pandemic, many people found themselves work- ing remotely with specific targets to reach. Employers from the private sec- tor found themselves facing a pressing need to implement remote methods of work that in many cases turned out to be convenient for both their busi- ness and their workers. It also emerged clearer than ever that remote work brings about a myriad of benefits, in- cluding for our environment and our general sense of wellbeing. Teleworking allows employees to be more effective. With the correct tools and a flexible time-table, work can be done at any time, from any place. This means that in many cases workers are more focused and probably more pro- ductive. Needless to say, without the need to travel to work every day, people who work remotely eliminate the wast- ed time in delays associated with sitting in traffic. Business owners reduce real estate costs, since less workers on site mean less of a need for physical work space, including parking space. Apart from the environmental benefit of less pollution and also less traffic conges- tion on our roads. Apart from the physical and tangible benefits, we must also consider the fact that a flexible workplace ensures a more positive attitude towards work and in turn has the potential to lower employ- ee turnover. Having workers who stay at their jobs for a longer period of time means less costs related to recruitment. This would also mean having more ex- perts within the company and a bigger opportunity for business continuity, which is very important in times of ex- tremity, such as a pandemic. It stands to reason that companies with a remote working programme have a competi- tive edge over those that do not when it comes to their level of appeal in the eyes of job seekers. We need to start taking our quality of life more seriously and this needs to go hand in hand with the campaigns we launch on mental health issues and other related issues. The flexibility of working off-site eliminates the stress of how to get to work and it allows our workforce to find a right balance be- tween work and all the other aspects of their personal life. The result is a work ONE of the first actions Prime Minis- ter Robert Abela took on taking oath of office, less than six months ago, was to set up a Cabinet committee on good governance and rule of law, on which I was asked to serve. As we began to implement our major task, I had no doubt that actions speak louder than words. We had a clear objective before us, and we needed to deliver. We listened carefully to the advice we received from the European Com- mission for Democracy Through Law, better known as the Venice Commis- sion. It shares best practice and advises on how countries can strengthen their institutions. Within a relatively short space of time, the Justice Minister, Ed- ward Zammit Lewis, produced a com- prehensive reform package and now the Venice Commission has come back with a thumbs-up. No other government has undertaken to introduce such huge reforms. We saw the first one in action in the way the new Police Commissioner, Ange- lo Gafà, was appointed. The method of appointment was changed so that a call for applications was issued. Can- didates were interviewed by the Public Service Commission, who provided the Cabinet with a shortlist of two names. The person chosen then had to win the approval of the Parliamentary Public Appointments Committee. The Oppo- sition refused to take part in the com- mittee hearing, thus failing to carry its parliamentary responsibilities in this important process, when it is not the Teleworking is helping more effective. Let's The reality of good governance Miriam Dalli Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi