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The 2020 pandemic made people realize that they don’t have to go to offices every day to keep their businesses running. On the contrary, the remote work model became more popular than anyone could have ever imagined.
Working from home used to be popular even before the pandemic, but now a huge number of people see it as their future.
The 2022 State Of Remote Work report by Buffer shows that 97% of remote employees would recommend working from home to others.
If you’ve clicked on this article, there’s a good chance that you’re considering working remotely either full-time or freelance.
Before you make a big decision, make sure to weigh both the good and the bad sides of remote work.
Pros:
1. Increased Productivity
Remote employees tend to be more productive than their in-office colleagues. A study on agile workplace strategies found that remote workers are 35-40% more productive than their on-site counterparts. There are several reasons for this.
- Fewer distractions: When working from home, you can dispense with the water cooler talk. No one can show up at your workstation to discuss trivial matters or the latest rumors. At home, you can be free of these time vampires.
- Flexible hours: Remote employment allows you to work outside the traditional 9-5 hours. You have the freedom to choose times of day when you are the most productive.
About 67% of respondents in the Buffer report said that the main benefit of remote work is choosing how to spend their time. Besides, most (good) employers don’t care about your flexible work schedule, as long as you complete your tasks on time.
- More sleep: Without the need to commute, you may also be sleeping more efficiently. Research by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that people get up about 30 minutes later than on-site workers.
2. Work-life Balance
Working from home means that you can spend more time with your family. What is more, you can easily create a schedule and set SMART goals that allows you to strike the perfect balance between work and personal time.
Gallup finds that the average one-way commute in the US is about 30 minutes. When you take that out of the equation, you have one hour extra every day to spend quality time with your family and friends.
With more time in a row, you can be happier and more satisfied with your job when working remotely.
That also works for the employer, as fulfilled employees are easier to retain.
3. Healthy Lifestyle
Keeping up with a healthy lifestyle can be quite difficult in an office environment. Everyday hustle, meetings, and tight schedules can prevent you from enjoying a balanced meal.
This is especially the case in the morning when the workload is at its peak, and in the afternoon when you feel pressure to get things done and wrap up for the day.
Telecommuting leaves you with more time to pursue healthy lifestyle habits.
You can prepare nutritious meals and even several exercise sessions during the day. If nothing else, it’s much easier to take short breaks and do some physical activities like stretching or taking a brisk walk. Healthcare app development services can improve your remote work and work-life balance. It can help you take control of your health and productivity, all from the comfort of your home. Say goodbye to missed appointments and hello to personalized healthcare at your fingertips.
4. More Savings
By working remotely, you can save more money each year.
When you set up your office at home, all the money you pay for public transportation, gas, parking fees, car maintenance, and takeout meals stays in your pocket.
This is also a benefit for employers, with a reduced office workforce, you need fewer desks and other equipment. As a result, you can scale down into a smaller space which comes with lower rent costs.
Finally, the fewer commuters there are, the smaller the carbon footprint. By staying at home, you’re doing the planet a big service. Flexible work hours mean more freedom to choose your comings and goings.
Make the most out of the situation by cycling and walking more.
Cons:
1. Working Too Much
With no way to leave the office, it gets hard to separate work and private life. You can check emails, chat with team members on Slack, or do work anyplace you find Wi-Fi.
On one hand, this gives you the freedom to work from anywhere, but on the other hand, it’s easy to end up working 24/7.
You may be worried that your work is lagging behind since you’re not in the office. As a result, you overcompensate to have more achievements to report on weekly meetings.
However, it’s important to unplug at the end of the day. Sign out of the work email, change your Slack status to sleep, and let yourself enjoy all the benefits of working from home.
2. Less Face-to-Face Time
Just as remote work can help you avoid non-productive and non-work-related small talk, it can also make it challenging to communicate with colleagues.
In the office, you can approach anyone whenever you need to discuss something in person. As a remote worker, however, you can only rely on instant messaging and video calls through Zoom and other alternatives.
While messaging apps like Slack do what they’re made for, they can never be as quick and effective as real face-to-face communication.
The inability to instantly talk to someone sitting next to you can be a hurdle to effective team communication.
On the downside, 61% of professionals reported having more meetings due to COVID-conditioned remote work. Not cool.
3. Managing At-Home Distractions
Sure, working at home allows you to avoid chatty co-workers dropping by your desk to check in. The bad news is that remote work is likely to come with its share of interruptions and distractions.
A UPS delivery guy needing your signature, a shopping list handed to you in the morning, or just someone calling to check on you guys.
Why? Because – you’re working from home, why not?
It’s especially difficult when you have very young kids who don’t get it. Why can’t you play with them when you’re right there with them? Experienced remote working parents tend to do the bulk of the work while the kids are taking their naps.
Making conference calls can also be an issue. I suggest you invest in a noise-canceling mic. It picks up your voice while filtering out background noise.
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4. Lack of Motivation
With no active supervision and your colleagues working full steam around you, it’s sometimes hard to stay motivated and meet your targets.
This is often cited as one of the universal challenges related to remote work.
With no one to manage your time and daily workload, it’s only too easy to adopt a laid-back attitude and a habit of procrastinating.
Once that starts to happen, you need to work on putting some discipline in your schedule. If not, you’re risking a downfall in your professional life.
As an ex-Navy Seal Jocko Willink puts it, “Motivation is good for about 15 minutes, after that what you need is discipline.”
Wrapping Up
So is remote work worth it? Definitely.
In my opinion, the pros outweigh the cons by large. Besides, you can always beat the disadvantages by adopting the right remote working strategy.
Also, these shortcomings are universal, but may not be an issue for you. What’s more, they can motivate you to set up healthy boundaries between work and personal life as well as to pursue quality social contacts elsewhere.
