Benefits of Remote Working from Home

Remote working from home is nothing new. In the past, employers tend to fear that allowing their employees to work remotely from home would mean lesser productivity on the part of the employees. While this might be the case in 1 out of every 10 employees, employers have come to realize that most workers are actually at their best when allowed to work at home. More still, of recent there have been increases in the number of people who work from home in many countries around the world.

Nevertheless, whilst working remotely from home might be appealing to many individuals, there are certain aspects of it that make some people hope they never have to work from home. The fact is, like every other thing, remote work has its advantages and disadvantages.

What actually is remote working?

Remote working is a practice whereby you work at your home instead of the normal office with the aid of the internet and some other technology. What this means is that you get to work at home, most times with a laptop that is remotely connected to key systems in the office. Remote working means you can work for any company from anywhere in the world. Even if you’re sitting on a beach with a cocktail in hand, your employer doesn’t really care as far as you get your job done.

More productivity

There is this general believe that letting an employee work from home will make him/her miss on deadlines and slack on his job. This is entirely wrong, as studies have shown that remote employees are more productive than the everyday office employee is. This may be attributed to having no chatty co-workers to distract the normal workflow, and this means more productivity on the part of the employee.

No commuting

Few employees actually enjoy the everyday commute to and from the office. When you work from home, you don’t need those lengthy commute every day to work, worth with being crushed into a train car or a bus or being jostled on a busy sidewalk as you hurry to work. As a remote worker, you can begin your workday early, thereby dedicating more time to your job. In addition, you don’t have to worry about work wardrobe, plus you can save the money you would have spent on transports for other purposes.

Better health

You’re in control of your own schedule when you work at home, which means more flexibility. If you’re a parent, you can be able to take your kids to school without worrying about being on your desk by 9am. In addition, you will find out that like most people, you will perform more efficiently when you control your own work schedule.

Flexibility

There is this general believe that letting an employee work from home will make him/her miss on deadlines and slack on his job. This is entirely wrong, as studies have shown that remote employees are more productive than the everyday office employee is. This may be attributed to having no chatty co-workers to distract the normal workflow, and this means more productivity on the part of the employee.

Control of work pace

When you work from home, you’re entirely in control of your work pace. And as far as you always deliver by the deadline, you don’t have to worry about anything. This means you can take push in a lot of tasks all in one go and take as many breaks as you want. Self-discipline is important here, but that is something you will have to learn if you take your remote work serious.

While there are many benefits of remote work from home, there are a few disadvantages as well.

Here are some of the disadvantages of working from home:

Lack of workplace social life

While not having co-workers to chatter with when working from home can be an advantage, it can also be somewhat of a disadvantage. It’s true you can interact with your colleagues virtually, but it’s not the same thing as the usual office banter. Some remote workers who feel isolated sometimes usually come into the office some days during the week or prefer doing their job in public places. However, if this is not a problem for you, then you needn’t worry.

Dependence on technology

Remote work means complete dependence on technology to get actual results. Which means, you have to ensure you’re always reachable by phone, email or other communication platform used by your office. This is not actually a disadvantage in its entirety because there are a lot of technology that can help you stay in touch with your office, as well as being able to transfer data as quickly as possible. A 4G network will certainly solve this problem.

Work/life balance challenge

While you may think that remote working will make it possible for you to devote more time to your personal, reverse can actually be the case. When you work from home and don’t set specific work hours and schedule, you will constantly find your work interfering with your personal life. And even when you’re attending to personal issues, you may find yourself always thinking about the work that needs to be done. Way out? – set specific work hours for yourself.

That’s just about it on remote work at home merits and demerits. However, just like everything in life, what worked for some other person might not work for you. Nevertheless, remote working is already being accepted by many businesses, so if you consider it your best work option, then go for it.