The Pros and Cons of Working from Home

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the lives of people as well as the economy. It forced companies all over the world to work remotely. This has become a turning point for businesses and organizations worldwide. Will people go back to “business as usual” after the pandemic, or would companies consider working from home as “the new normal” in the following years? With Enadoc we are going to get you through the hoops of it.

Below are some of the benefits and challenges that come along with working remotely.

Pros:

Digital Job Capacity Will Increase Working From Home

Having a technology-related skill will have an overall positive impact in the next few years when working from home. Research by Microsoft estimated that in 2025, the digital job capacity will offer 149 Million new technology-oriented jobs.

A survey of American workers conducted by Pew Research Center states that knowledge of computers, social dexterity, communications skills, and access to training are keys to success for today’s professionals as well.

Less Commute, Less Expense

A certain percentage of our monthly salary is being used on our daily commute to work, whether if it’s for gas or public transportation rides. Not to mention the amount of time wasted on your commute to and from work.

When you’re working remotely, not only will you save on expenses, but you’ll also save lots of time when working from home. Workers spend 200 hours annually on their daily commute. Imagine using that time for something productive that’s indeed time well spent.

Work Anywhere, Anytime

Unless your company requires you to work at a specific time (e.g. Customer sales representative), then you can most likely do your work whenever it suits you, as long as you meet your deadlines. The location also won’t be an issue as long as you have a stable internet connection.

Increased Productivity

You might have heard of people saying that people working from home tend to be lazy or complacent. This of course, is not true. In fact, there is enough evidence to conclude that remote workers can be more productive than people who work from a physical office.

In a 2020 survey report on Airtasker, they conducted research on 1,004 full-time employees across the U.S., and 505 of them work remotely. They found out that while remote workers take breaks more frequently than an average office worker, they still worked 1.4 more days every month or 16.8 more days in a year. That’s more than 2 weeks per year!

Working Form Home Benefits Everyone, Including Employers

Whether you’re an employee or an employer, working from home will definitely benefit both parties. As stated before, working from home will cut down on expenses from your daily commute. Employers will also save a lot of resources when they apply a successful remote work strategy.

Employers will save a lot of resources dedicated to office space and equipment.  Renting space and paying for electricity and water bills for daily operations can cost a hefty amount. If this can be reduced, it will help a business’ bottom line.

Better Health and Safety

You should always prioritize your health before anything else. And with the recent Covid-19 pandemic, working from home will not only keep you safe but also your loved ones.

Aside from physical health and safety, working from home will also help you with your mental health. A survey by PGI says that around 82% of remote workers have improved their stress-levels while 80% have also increased their morale.

Stress is a big factor when it comes to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. Reducing stress-levels is crucial when you want your workforce to be more productive.

Cons of Working From Home:

Physical Separation of Work and Home

With you working at home, it’s quite difficult to have a clear distinction between your work and your private life. Time flexibility at work can be a double-edged sword sometimes.

A good way to avoid this is to prepare a dedicated workspace in your home. This would help you mentally separate your “work” and “home”. Another way to separate your work and private life is by managing your time. Set a clear schedule of when you’ll work on your deliverables and stick to it.

Distractions

Sometimes when we’re working, we get notifications from social media. We get an urge to check it, which eventually leads to scrolling through the platform for minutes on end.

This becomes a problem as it affects your productivity during your designated work hours.

Another form of distraction is having a noisy environment. Your family or neighbors might be doing something which causes loud noises and keeps interrupting your focus to work.

Neuroscience revealed to us that while we are visual beings, there is a complex “connectome” in our brain that connects all our senses. This is why it’s much harder to write a report in a noisy and uncomfortable environment.

Communication and Collaboration

We have all heard the saying that communication is key, but with the lack of face-to-face interaction, miscommunication can become a recurring issue.

Research from The Institute of Leadership & Management reveals that poor communication is widespread among remote teams. Research is conducted with 1,000 remote workers, and while 84% of distributed workers report improvement in their work-life balance, they also lack a team identity which causes isolation and loneliness.

A good way to avoid this is to build a collaborative team culture, with regular interaction and social time with your team.  You also have to ensure that everyone has a clear picture of your team’s objectives, priorities, and deadlines, and how each of your team members can contribute to that. Doing this will increase your overall communication and collaboration with your team.

Conclusion

Working from home has an overall improvement in your productivity, but you should always discipline yourself away from distractions and improve your communication with your peers. Doing that will lessen the risks of being unproductive when working remotely.

Here’s some Effective work from Home Tips That are Backed Up by Science