Remote work, also known as “telecommuting” or working from home. Is a way of working that doesn’t require employees to be physically present in a workplace? Instead, they can work from anywhere, using technology like the internet and video conferencing to stay connected to their colleagues. Remote work has become increasingly popular in recent years, thanks to the developments of new technologies and changing attitude towards work-life balance. 

But before you take the big plunge, it is important to know the pros and cons of working remotely.

REMOTE WORK PROS

1. Time Convenient 

Remote employees don’t need to spend hours in bumper to bumper traffic every day, or being in a hurry to meet up to a 9-5 job, they enjoys the flexibility of conveniently working at their own pace. With enough rest and free time every day, employees focus better on their work which directly leads to higher productivity and efficiency.

2. More freedom

A typical employee works eight to nine hours a day, five days a week, from their office. Because they are unable to concentrate on their task, they are unable to just conduct errands for themselves or take an hour-long nap. They are only able to accomplish all of that after work or by formally taking a leave of absence. 

Conversely, those who work remotely, particularly those who have flexible work hours, have more autonomy in designing their own schedules. If they feel most productive at night, they can work through the night. Alternatively, they can work in the early morning to free up the remainder of the day.

When working remotely, completing the task at hand takes precedence over setting aside a set amount of time to spend in front of a laptop screen.

3. Improved employee experience

Remote jobs helps to improve the working experience of an employee, with no daily alter, no excessive coffee breaks, and no long hours away from friends, family, and kids, remote work greatly improves employee experience and well-being. Offering optimum employee experience creates a culture of high performance and efficiency where employees actually want to improve and succeed at their work.

4.  Low business and infrastructure costs

When fewer employees come to the office every day, you need fewer desks and equipment to support them. Moreover, you would also need a smaller space to accommodate all the employees coming to the office, leading to lowered rent costs. In fact, according to a study, organizations can save up to $2,000 for every employee that goes remote by simply saving on their office space and overall infrastructure.

5. High Increase in productivity

In contrast to their traditional office counterparts, who may become irritated after an hour or two of travel time, remote workers begin work feeling more upbeat and invigorated. Additionally, since there are no excessive coffee breaks or interruptions, they are able to give their work their full attention, which results in higher productivity in fact, more than 80% of workers concur that they experience fewer disruptions when working remotely, and 79% say they are more productive when working from home.

6. Ability to Employ Professionals and retain them.

Research shows that over 80 percent of employees claim that the ability to work remotely, at least in some capacity, is one of the major deciding factors when considering a job offer. 75 percent of employees would quit their jobs to work at an organization that allows them to go remote more often, even if their salary remained the same. For organizations, that means, offering remote working perks is not an option anymore. It’s a necessity if they want to hire and retain top talent. Companies offering flexible working arrangements, whether it is in the form of full or partial remote work can make a big difference for the candidates looking for their next career move.

Remote Work Cons

1.No Physical Connection

Without in-person interactions or team meetings, newly remote teams may find it challenging to collaborate. Managers may be concerned that their team members may not perform as well as they did in the office (despite research showing otherwise). Employees may also find it challenging to receive the same level of guidance and support from their managers. In many instances, employees may even feel excluded when remote managers fail to understand their needs and difficulties.

2.Poor transmission of information

Without the correct onboarding process or guidance, it can be tough for remote employees to find and access all the information they need to manage their work. Workers look for information for thirty percent of the working day on average. This number rises when working remotely because workers are more isolated and have a limited amount of time to message coworkers for assistance, which inevitably lowers output and lowers employee engagement.

3.Poor Teamwork

Teams that operate remotely are less likely to have casual conversations about everyday issues during lunch or coffee breaks. From a distance, these discussions might appear pointless, yet they really enhance teamwork and communication. 

Members of remote teams find it difficult to approach their colleagues with any issues or obstacles that may be impacting their work when the teams rigorously limit their interactions to job-related topics and discourage casual banter.

4.Solitary and Seclusion

Research shows that regular communication and interaction with people reduces stress, and elevate an individual’s mood.

People's lives become more structured and routine when they commute to work every morning. In an office, you interact with coworkers and even strike up conversations with workers in different departments while you use the restroom, get a cup of coffee, or eat lunch. 

However, working from home alone with only a laptop in front of you can be very lonely and alienating. Although some choose to work from co-working spaces or cafes to prevent loneliness, current social distancing conventions make this practically impossible. Persistent seclusion without participation from the team might eventually result in diminished productivity, burnout, and frustration.

Is working remotely effective?

While working remotely has certain distinct benefits and drawbacks, overall, the positives exceed the drawbacks. Furthermore, all of the drawbacks may be easily avoided by implementing the proper remote working tactics and providing your staff with tools that will enable them to continue being productive and effective even when working from home.