Working remotely is the future of professional work.
Until recently, remote jobs were fairly known. Remote jobs began to be more relevant in 2020 due to the advent of the dreadful Covid-19 pandemic.
It was adapted to prevent the spread of Covid-19, as the lockdown would have affected the inflow of salary earners. Hence, before the year 2020, the idea of working remotely was not as prominent as it is now.
Most youths have now understood the impact of remote work and the balance effect it has on their day-to-day life.
Remote work has blurred the line between business and personal travel.
Rather than leaving home rarely for vacation, remote workers can travel at any time. This has the potential to upend longstanding travel trends.
Since remote work is flexible and has proven to result in greater employee happiness and satisfaction, most companies have now learned to adapt to this narrative.
Benefits of Remote Work
Reduction in the cost of management
Due to the reduced number of workers in the office, the cost of supplies used, such as internet usage, computer work desk, furniture, electricity, utility, repairs, and damages, are equally subsidised.
Better chances at finding talented employees
Remote workers are usually talented. They are experienced in their field of work because they give their time to learning and producing better results. Such talents are rare to find.
Nevertheless, working remotely creates a large talent pool for companies. This increases their chances of hiring competent people who will eventually add to the growth of their companies.
Increased employee-employer relationship
Due to the flexibility of remote work and its ease on the workers, employers rarely leave nor do employers release employees. Employers benefit due to the low cost while employees gain through work-hour flexibility.
Disadvantages of Remote Work
Distraction
Many distractions at home can affect an employee’s focus on their work. Some of these factors include screaming children, noise from passing traffic, ringing doorbells, dogs barking, and household chores. If employees continue to work from home, they must have a dedicated workspace, access to childcare, and a flexible but dedicated schedule.
Inability to communicate well with team members
Unlike on-site workers who can communicate with their fellow workers, ask questions, and request help when needed, remote workers have less access to bond and correlate with other colleagues. They might even feel isolated due to the number of interactions they have per day.
Inconsistent power and network access
Network access can also be affected as no internet access is 100% stable. Electricity and internet outages can hinder the productivity of a remote worker, especially in developing countries like Nigeria.
Effects on Work-Life Balance
Although working remotely has advantages and disadvantages, many remote workers find the former to be true.
Some employees find that work bleeds over into their home life more and more. It can start as something simple, such as responding to an email after clocking out for the day. But if workers aren’t careful, that can turn into multiple emails or warrant them to start putting in extra work after hours.
For some, the line between work life and home life can become blurry when the workplace is within the home. And this can result in burnout and low work morale.
Conclusion
Ultimately, working remotely allows employees to balance their work with their responsibilities and hobbies without the stress of being alone. Productivity and job satisfaction increase when working from home, especially when one does not have to join the long commute to work.
A better work-life balance can also reduce stress levels which improve mental health. This can positively impact the worker’s overall performance.
