Written By Hemashree Krishnan – Content Writer and Reviewer 

I am affected by a rare genetic illness called Wilson’s Disease. Since the disease is quite rare and most of its symptoms mirror that of other illnesses, I was diagnosed late. Consequently, I lost some of my physical functions and became a wheelchair user. 

There are few job opportunities for people with disabilities (PWDs) in my country, Malaysia. Most of the infrastructure in public places here do not have provisions for ramps and public transportation also doesn’t support the mobility of PWDs. There is insufficient career advice and legit online jobs for PWDs too. These factors combine to make finding a job, commuting to the workplace, career options, and career planning nearly impossible for people like me. The fact that there is unconscious bias and discrimination against PWD workers is another disadvantage.  

However, I found ways to earn money from home by freelancing online and I equipped myself with content writing and copywriting skills.  My freelancing scope ranged from writing press releases to doing college assignments. I also blogged and wrote to local newspapers. 

I didn’t realize then that I was already doing remote work. All I knew was that I was working from the comfort and convenience of my home. Neither was I aware that there are best work-from-home jobs available. In hindsight, this was the training wheels prior to my actual remote role at Genashtim Sdn. Bhd.  

Genashtim’s then HR manager, Mariecell Fornis Esguerra contacted me to ask if I would be interested in filling a content writer vacancy in Genashtim. I accepted the offer and became one of the employees of this 100% remote company in June 2019.  

Remote work felt like second nature for me. In fact, I am comfortably cruising on my remote career path. Remote work opens doors to create ideal jobs for introverts. I acquired my disability in the prime years of my life. As a result, I became reserved, reticent, and inhibited. To this day, I prefer staying at home to going out to meet people and enjoying the great outdoors. So, remote work is the perfect fit for me. 

However, I don’t hold myself back at work, specifically in synchronous communication. If there is a requirement for me to speak and provide input, I do so readily. I actively participate in weekly and monthly virtual meetings, sometimes, volunteering to go first proactively. I strongly believe that having a laid-back work attitude will negatively affect my career mapping and impede my career development goals.  

Overcommunication in remote work is characterized by asynchronous communication. For me, it’s a welcome communication method – my colleagues, team members, and department are just a message away on MS Teams.  

Remote-first companies must cultivate a dynamic remote work model that adapts to changing times, reskills their remote workers, and takes care of their welfare.  As a remote worker I have experienced these, and I’d like to share how working for a remote-first company like Genashtim transformed my life.  

1. I can choose my work hours

I am a morning person – my alertness is at its peak in the morning. I used to study in the wee hours of the morning, being a lark, and follow the habit through to this day as a career woman.  

My shift starts at 8.00 am EST but I usually start working at 5.30 am and complete heavy-duty tasks by 12.00 pm. After my break, I return at 3.00 pm to do lightweight and ad hoc tasks before logging out at 4.00 pm. This routine helps me meet deadlines and stay ahead.  

My team and I often stay back to coordinate and complete urgent tasks after work hours. Since Genashtim has a global remote workforce working in different time zones, flexible work hours are essential. 

Another important reason I set out to work at dawn is that the internet connection is at its fastest during the early mornings. One could say that I developed a crepuscular working style to deliver peak performance. At its core, this flexible work arrangement has facilitated my work execution. 

2. I can manage my personal life and take care of my needs as a PWD better

Genashtim’s remote work growth for people who want to work from home is further fortified by the Total Flexibility Initiative. Inspired by Netflix’s Take Some policy, Genashtim’s employees can take leaves at their discretion and necessity.  

I am frequently affected by the symptoms of my illness which often render me incapacitated for work. Genashtim’s Total Flexibility Initiative allows me to get as many days off to rest as I need and return to work stronger. This way, I can give my best at work. 

PWDs make up 70% of Genashtim’s employees at the time of this writing. Naturally, many of them are not in optimum health and cannot work eight hours straight with just an hour of lunch break. They have medical conditions and special needs, so they need frequent breaks to manage their afflictions. In the announcement of the Total Flexibility Initiative, the Founder and CEO of Genashtim, Thomas Ng encouraged staff members to take advantage of this policy and improve their overall health and quality life – he encapsulated this as a shift from providing a livelihood to providing a better quality of life. 

The Total Flexibility Initiative also shows the trust Genashtim has in its employees. I greatly appreciate this trust and fully intend to do my best in the responsibilities entrusted to me. I often work even when I am on sick leave if I find my symptoms manageable. I am never completely detached from my work; it’s always on my mind and I map my work mindfully. 

3. My performance matters, not my presence

One of the biggest aspects of remote work is less focus on remote employee attendance and more focus on productivity. 

In the year 2020, I needed to stay at a care home for 2 months. The home had a rule that all residents should get to bed by 8.30 pm. I couldn’t put in seven hours of work a day due to the home’s sleep-wake schedule, so I informed my manager about my predicament. She understood my circumstance and allowed me to work for only six hours per day. Such is the leeway Genashtim grants in managing a remote workforce.  

Although I worked for only six hours during my stay at the care home facility, I didn’t fall back on completing my tasks – I was as efficient as I was when I worked for seven hours. 

In my opinion, Genashtim is the best company to work for remotely. JEDI Jobs, an online remote work portal powered by Genashtim offers the best remote jobs. The online job portal fulfils telecommuting expectations by featuring remote vacancies from the best fully remote work companies to work for, supporting remote working and digital nomadism. 

4. My skills are constantly augmented by my company’s sponsored/requested/internal professional development programs

I acquired a TESOL certification that was funded by Genashtim. I was also provided with the opportunity to benefit from other training from Air Asia Academy and Tun Abdul Razak University, inter alia – all fully sponsored by Genashtim. With my TESOL certification, I have a good chance at remote education jobs.  

The debilitating and chronic symptoms of my rare genetic disease surfaced when I was nineteen – I had just completed my HSC exam in the hospital. As my illness progressed, I was often hospitalized. It is understood that I couldn’t pursue my tertiary education at a higher studies institution like my peers – my life was at a standstill. This changed when I joined Genashtim – I am catching up from where I left off due to the acute manifestation of my medical condition.  Later, I learned about my colleagues’ heuristic pursuits, and I felt a sense of belonging – I found a home in Genashtim. 

Genashtim doesn’t hold back from spending to reskill and upskill its employees. The underlying reason for this is the prospect of a staff member moving to another company doesn’t overshadow Genashtim’s internal benefit. Everything that staff members learned from Genashtim’s fully funded training takes the company to new heights – that’s the primary focus, not them weighing their career options by the idea of joining another company. 

5. My financial independence became stable and sustainable, and I receive benefits like yearly increments, profit sharing, and medical compensation

I was a freelancer prior to joining Genashtim. Freelancing is one of the best work-from-home jobs. However, the income from freelancing is neither consistent nor sustainable. How much you make by freelancing depends on the competition with more established freelancers and your gig’s visibility. There is no promotion or additional benefits with freelancing. While freelancing ensured that I was financially independent, the money that I was making was neither gainful nor inherently cumulative – it had spikes and dips. 

As a for-profit social enterprise that’s certified B Corp, Genashtaim places foremost importance on employees’ welfare. 

While the COVID-19 pandemic affected many business operations, Genashtim, with its visionary “pandemic-proof” remote work model, made the most revenue since its inception during this time. The company’s accumulated profit was then channeled to the company’s employees through profit-sharing. This proves that remote work can manifest itself as some of the highest-paying jobs in the world.  
 
On the other side, many employees are forgoing salary raises and agreeing to pay cuts so long they can work remotely. This sheds light on just how valuable telework’s better work-life integration is for some workers.  

6. My remote career path restored my dignity as a human being

Everyone thought that I wouldn’t amount to much. My uncle called me a “patient.” While I was at the hospital battling grave symptoms and severe allergic reactions to medicine, I heard my visiting extended family talking about how I can never marry with such a disease. Some said that this is the comeuppance of the karma I did in my past lives. This is the general perception of people with disabilities and grievous illnesses, not to mention the rationalization of atypical sickness’ manifestations. 

After a period of impasse, I impassionedly directed my writing skills online. Finally, I am doing something useful. I am becoming useful. The icing on the cake was getting a job at Genashtim.  

To many, my remote role is one of the most unusual jobs. People are always curious about how I work. More often than not, people are amazed about how a person like me can be a valued employee. In June 2022, the former Malaysian Human Resource minister, YB Kula Segaran visited me. We talked about how it’s possible for PWDs to work and earn. 

Looking back, I’ve come a long way from being a “patient” to a dignified human being. I owe all of it to Genashtim and remote work technology.  

7. Working remotely boosted my mental and physical health

My confidence level hit rock bottom when I fell sick. My disability drove me to the brink of severe anxiety and depression. I avoided socializing and became a veritable wallflower. 

All that changed when I started working remotely. I regained my confidence and self-esteem. I still don’t enjoy going out and meeting people, but I can manage both now – I no longer slink away. It’s a process and I believe that I will overcome my insecurities gradually. 

Although I still suffer from debilitating migraines, my physical condition is a lot more stable now than it was before I started working. 

Remote working and digital nomadism instilled a purpose in my life. Employment spurs me to take care of myself better. The fact that I am doing something meaningful in life makes me feel happy and healthy – it is true that mental and physical health are intertwined. 

8. Remote work gave me colleagues from all over the world and new perspectives

I once met an Afghan man at KLCC. Never did I think that I will have Afghans as my colleagues! They are supremely talented and well-versed in technology. I am amazed at them! 
 
Popular racist stereotypes are completely shattered in me as I work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds. I bask in the similarities of colleagues from Malaysia and celebrate the distinct cultural aspects of colleagues from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Pakistan in my team and department.  

Learning how other people live and work has been humbling and educational. I realized that the world is so big, yet, I have it on my computer screen. As a voracious reader, I believe that – “To read is to accept being carried away in a world of multiple discoveries. It means opening up and meeting other people. All these while not moving an inch.” Now, I also discover new things and meet new people while I work, albeit seated on my remote workstation at home. 

Engaging a remote workforce and going global have been a blessing for a person like me. I have literally gone from zero to a hundred and I have a place where I truly belong. During our weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly virtual coffee sessions, I understood that keeping an open mind is imperative to absorb novel things, respect unfamiliar cultural aspects, and validate the experiences and lifestyles of others while sharing mine. 

Reading the stories of my colleagues in Genashtim’s monthly internal newsletters assures me that I’m not alone in my struggles and drawbacks. And I heartily learned from my co-workers that I shouldn’t let adversities get the better of me and to always persevere and strive hard for excellence. 

Final words… 

Truth be told, I never expected that I would be a part of the global remote workforce. For a while, I didn’t believe that I will achieve anything at all, especially when I was gravely ill. All that gradually changed, and I am now a proud remote worker looking forward to facing the challenges of remote work teams as flexible work-from-home policy prevails and undergoes changes.   

Remote work is ironically my comfort zone. However, I push the envelope to learn new things and apply them in my work. Work is always evolving, and workers must evolve in tandem. Straggling is a metaphorical career death sentence. I know that telecommuting expectations will grow as time progresses and I am taking the necessary steps so that I can keep up and further my remote career path. 

I hope I can continue to grow and make strides toward the remote work future. I also hope to pay it forward in any way that I can so that many more can enjoy the immense benefits of remote work and add value to their lives, economy, community, and country.  

Lastly, I look forward to joining my remote co-workers to take Genashtim Sdn. Bhd. to new heights. I’d like to proactively contribute to this remote company growing as a robust for-profit social enterprise that can continue to transform many more lives as it did mine!