With the recent global pandemic, there have been many studies into remote working, its benefits, disadvantages, and the potential for this to be the new way of working.
- Distraction
A person can get easily distracted at work, deadlines monitor their work, and have less accountability for their workload. When a person works from home, there is more pressure to meet deadlines, and quite often, you must meet regular deadlines throughout the day to ensure you are working efficiently. People who are remote workers must almost prove themselves more as there are many misconceptions that people at home are lazy and do less work.
- Productivity
Studies have shown that since the start of the pandemic, productivity levels are heightened by remote work. This is because people work more efficiently when they are in an environment that they feel comfortable and relaxed in.
- Initiative
As people have been forced to work from home for months, people have increased their levels of initiative; people can’t simply go to the next room and ask a casual question anymore. All questions must be conferred by email or phone call and are usually documented. This means that there may be a delay in answer, or on occasion, you might be asked why you ask so many questions, and your competence can be questioned.
- Flexibility
One aspect that entices employees to find remote work is the flexibility that it offers them. Many people can almost pick their work hours as many projects are time-based, so as long as they are completing the work on time, most employers don’t mind.
- Production
Studies have actually shown that people are working a lot more productively when they are remote working. This study shows a direct correlation between productivity and remote working due to how they can work. When a person is remote working, they statistically work for more minutes per shift and take fewer breaks. This is great from the perspective of the employer as they get more work for their money.
- Preference
Many people prefer remote working; you can only apply for jobs that specify they want remote workers. This is of benefit for the employer as they can teach people what to do and hire them to work with their own setup from home or wherever their location be.
Many people acknowledge the pollution levels caused by commuters and want to keep their carbon footprint as low as possible. People can afford to live in more urban areas instead of spending a fortune living somewhere closer to work, so you have a shorter commute. This means that people can live wherever they want and not worry about finding a job close to home.
