Remote Work: The Gains, Losses and Everything Between
By: Mcanderson Institute Of Technology
Tags: Working From Home, Pandemic, Communication, Organizational Culture, Remote Work

These are interesting times to live in, and even more spectacular, in the world of work. Remote work has been a major topic of interest in professional circles, particularly in the tech sector, in recent years, as it is believed to be one of the most common characteristics of the Future of Work.

Interestingly, by forces beyond man’s control, organizations, companies, business owners in every sector of human endeavor and across nearly every part of the globe have had to brave the concept of remote work and ultimately take a dive into it, particularly in 2020. It goes without saying that the recent Covid-19 pandemic has further disrupted the workplace structure, since it has become a healthier option to be apart than together. Consequently, companies and organizations with a great team fabric have had to restructure and initiate as well as implement strategic plans that would encourage more participation and contribution from everyone while being away. It is quite obvious, then, why the tech sphere has had this conversation longer than others, essentially because for people to work seamlessly together and deliver optimally while being apart, it would take technology to facilitate that.

Before we take a deeper dive, let’s define remote work. Remote work is work done away from a traditional working environment or office space, usually enabled by digital technology. As such, technology is an integral part of the remote work structure. It enables communication, collaboration and problem-solving. Technology also catalyzes the processes, and in better instances, automates these work processes for the greater good of organizations and their teams.

The Gains

Flexibility: Most remote jobs come with flexible schedules which allow for more control over workers’ time, as long as the work and the deliverables are met on demand. This command over one’s program is invaluable not only because it gives more room to attend to personal needs but it also helps the mental state of the worker as it defuses the feeling of being overwhelmed.

No Commute Stress: In the case of working from home, this offers the possibility to entirely avoid the hassle of commuting to an office every day.

Punctuality: The average employer may have at a time or two had to deal with the uncomfortable but usually unavoidable subject of tardiness from employees. However, working remotely reduces such occurrences by more than half.

Cost Efficiency: Fueling, car maintenance, transportation, a professional wardrobe, lunches and more can all be reduced or eliminated, thus there are fewer expenses and obviously more savings. Saving cost is not only a benefit employees enjoy, organizations also see significant long-cost savings.

Location Independence: Another advantage of working from home is having access to a wider range of job opportunities that aren’t limited by geographic location. This can be especially helpful for job seekers living in areas where there may not be many available local positions for their expertise.

Increase in Productivity: FlexJobs’ annual survey in 2019 found that 65% of professionals think they would be more productive working remotely than in a traditional office, with 49% saying they go to their home or home office when they really need to buckle down and get work done.

There are many other far-reaching gains of remote work, ranging from positive environmental impact to reduced inequalities, as well as having a healthier, happier work life.

Losses

Remote work is unsuitable for positions that require the use of specialized equipment.

If not properly managed, it could create difficulty in scheduling meetings and coordinating projects.

Isolation: some employees may feel disconnected from the company’s bigger picture when they work away from the office.

Poor internet connection: in locations where internet connection is unstable, working seamlessly away from the office might be quite difficult as well as reduce productivity.

Working remotely is a genius move in many cases when managed properly. Employees, freelancers, business owners will have to familiarize themselves with the remote work culture, understandably so, for every work environment comes with its own philosophy and structure. An easy to overlook but certainly important point to note is: regardless of where you work, that is your office. It could be in the comfort of your home, a café, some informal arrangement. Be that as it may, it is your office. Therefore, one needs to be diligent with the work hours, communication channels, target deliverables and much more.

In conclusion, remote work is here to stay, even more so bolstered by the pandemic. And as with everything, it has its gains and inconveniences, nonetheless, the strengths far outweigh the stress it could come with. So, organizations are encouraged to train their staff on using digital technology to meet company demands and achieve goals, as this will place them on a solid footing for the Future of Work. The Future of Work is not in some distant time, it is here, it is now; and we will all do well to embrace and be part of it.