Remote work is an official arrangement where employees do not have to operate from a specific central office owned by employers. An employee can perform their duties from anywhere and enjoy flexible working hours as stipulated by an employer. It is a growing trend that has become even more popular with the COVID-19 pandemic.
At that time, most companies were forced to shut down, and employees had to deliver from home. That said, this article looks at ten advantages and disadvantages of this new approach.
What are the Advantages?
This model presents unparalleled benefits to everyone involved; here are just a few of the top ones:
1. Pools Top Talent
Remote means that one does not have to be in a specific geographic location to work. Therefore, it is easier to hire professionals from any country in the world. This enables business owners to get the most talented workers for their organizations.
This arrangement also enables employers to hire freelancers, which is a cheaper option than an in-house team. For starters, they don’t have to pay benefits that come with permanent positions, such as retirement and insurance.
2. Saves Money
Working from home cuts down on daily expenses significantly, especially transport costs. Cooking meals at home rather than buying takeout as many people do is another bonus. Employers spend less on rent since they do not need a big office or do not rent the office at all, concentrating all the resources in the online space.
The spending on recurring utility bills like water and electricity is also minimal. Since the population is small, the consumption is equally low.
3. Improves Productivity
Employees are more efficient with schedules that best suit them. Hence, the ability to set aside hours when they know they are most productive is very enticing. This is mostly the case for night owls who would rather work at night than the typical 9 to 5. It also saves the time wasted in traffic, as this time goes to doing valuable tasks instead.
It saves people energy by not having to go to a physical office. Additionally, they get more control to personalize their environment in a manner that suits them. All this efficiency results in higher productivity, which boosts company success.
4. Promotes Work-Life Balance
Working from home creates healthy boundaries in people’s productive environment by giving them control over their schedules. This way, they can easily set aside time for their hobbies and spend more time with family and friends. If someone wishes to make plans after work, it is easier due to the ability to work from home. In an office setup, the working time is fixed and does not change whether it is peak season or not. Flexible hours help workers attend to personal and official duties depending on priority.
5. Improves Mental Health
The absence of competitive colleagues and demanding bosses breathing down the neck makes remote work stress-free. Having control over the schedule also reduces workplace pressure. A healthy balance means employees can juggle family and official tasks effortlessly. Family is a crucial part of good mental health. That notwithstanding, with remote work, it is more possible to incorporate self-care activities such as exercises and family time.
The Disadvantages of Remote Work
Despite its revolutionary benefits, remote work comes with some challenges:
1. Involves Minimal Human Interaction
For starters, when people perform their duties from the comfort of their own homes, they don’t encounter their colleagues at the workplace. Hence, this can isolate them to some extent. They lack the time to go out, especially during peak seasons, which is very unhealthy. It is also safe to say that for some workers online meetups are not as efficient as in-person conversations for brainstorming new project ideas. Hence, socially active employees are constrained in their communications when working from home.
2. Creates Security Concerns
Working from home involves using technology and the internet to get things done. Unfortunately, this model is susceptible to cyber-attacks. The increase in transactions and file sharing between colleagues creates an opportunity for cybercriminals to attack. As a result, companies are forced to invest in added cyber security, which can be quite expensive. People with weak passwords especially attract cybercriminals, and the use of insecure Wi-Fi networks leaves workers’ devices vulnerable to data breaches.
To protect its reputation and finances, every company should implement strict measures when it comes to cybersecurity and sharing confidential information with third-party individuals. It is necessary to teach employees about the most common types of business fraud, such as fake invoices, asset misappropriation, tax fraud, and much more.
Since remote work does not involve face-to-face interaction between colleagues, it is easier for con artists to gain access to the information they need. To avoid this, it is extremely necessary to know who employees are engaging with. Nuwber, a people search website with hundreds of millions of records, can help find out who stands behind a phone number or address.
3. Burdens Employees
Despite reducing commuting costs for business expenses for employers, remote work may burden employees with extra demands. Some of the spending on utility bills transfers from companies’ wallets to workers’. Since people are spending more time at home and using their appliances more than usual, the burden of paying for electricity and the internet falls on them. Conversely, people need their own laptops, which is more often than not a direct cost. Some companies, however, pay for their workers’ expenses that involve their job duties.
4. Kills Prompt Responses
Since workers are free to set their own schedules, they might set them differently from the colleagues they need to interact with. This difference causes delays in responses to urgent emails or notifications from fellow team members, which kills teamwork.
It is essential to note, however, that most companies stick to the 9-to-5 option even when the whole process is remote.
Conclusion
Despite being a fairly new phenomenon, remote work benefits both employers and employees. This model is a strategic way to bring diversity to the workplace, blend cultures, improve productivity, and boost healthy work-life balance. However, employees may incur extra costs and feel isolated if they live alone. There may also be tech issues and delayed responses that could hinder workflow. So, it is essential to be on the lookout for these challenges and develop innovative solutions for a more productive experience.
