Information Technology professionals Moazzam Hussain and his wife Shiba Fathima may not have dreamt of having their workstations in the midst of beautifully landscaped gardens and finely manicured lawns adorned with fountains of water. But, the concept of Work From Home (WFH) adopted by several companies to combat the COVID-19 pandemic has given many employees an opportunity to live such experiences by mixing work with tourism.
Encouraged by photographs of a colleague working from a picturesque locale at Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat that was shared on a social media platform, Mr. Hussain and Ms. Fathima, both employees in different IT companies in Bengaluru, packed their bags and set out to Mysuru and checked into a hotel earlier this week.
Every morning, they hire a cab from their hotel to reach Brindavan Gardens, adjoining the KRS reservoir, situated at a distance of about 22 km from Mysuru. They make themselves comfortable on the stone benches overlooking the expansive gardens spread across several acres before opening their laptops and starting their work by creating a hotspot from their mobile phones for internet connectivity.
“Working in such an atmosphere is not only soothing to the mind, but also beneficial for eye-sight. Whenever I take a break from looking into the laptop, I can look at pleasing sight of the vast gardens and the greenery”, said Mr. Hussain, a native of Bihar.
Wary of developing myopia or shortsightedness by focusing on the computer for a long time, he said it was necessary to keep looking at objects at a distance to maintain good eyesight. The expansive gardens spread across several acres offered him a chance to look faraway, an option not available in most office environs.
During the last three days of working from Brindavan Gardens, Mr. Hussain claimed he already feels relieved of the migraine that often tormented him after work.
Ms. Fathima, a native of Uttar Pradesh, said she is enjoying the experience of working from Brindavan Gardens. “Working within the confines of the home for an extended duration of time becomes difficult after some time. But, working from such locales is a good experience”, she said.
Mr. Hussain and Ms. Fathima said they eat their lunch at nearby restaurants and head back to their hotel in Mysuru in the evening by booking a cab online.
The duo, who propose to work from Brindavan Gardens for a week, are planning to move to a new location next week. Their colleagues are posting statuses from beaches in Goa, besides dams and gardens in different parts of the country. “We have not finalised our next destination yet. But, it will be either a garden, a dam or a beach”, Mr Hussain said. “We may even go to a beach in Goa”, added Ms. Fathima.
The WFH option has come as a blessing, offering them the option to mix work with tourism.
