For the past year, employees have been waking up from their beds and going straight to work. You may wonder how this is possible. Many companies have opted for employees to work remotely from home with meetings held through Zoom and hours tracked on Slack.
Before the pandemic, remote working was perceived as “lazy and unproductive” by employers. Surprisingly, it appears that despite millions of workers getting ready to return to the office, some prefer remote work over in-person. After months of working at home, some workers have adjusted to working remotely, causing companies to consider recruiting employees who live out of state or even internationally.
At the beginning of the pandemic, it seemed that remote work would be temporary, yet as months passed, it became less of a hassle and companies allowed employees to work based on their schedules.
Here are some of the benefits of Remote Working:
●Flexibility
Employees used to struggle to coordinate their work schedules with their home life. Now, people can set their work hours at a time ideal for their program. There is a reduction in the stress of finding time to spend with family or attend medical appointments, as employees can work hours that best fit these matters.
●Increase in Productivity
The stigma that tags remote workers as “lazy and unproductive” has been erased, with productivity increasing among employees. One study found that office workers spent “an average 37 minutes each workday of unproductivity, in comparison to remote workers who spent an average of 27 minutes of not doing work.” Although remote workers took more break times, productivity increased since they did not feel as pressured to focus on work as in an office setting.
●Personal Space
Instead of working at a small cubicle, working at home allows for employees to personalize their workspace and work more comfortably. Employees can sit in their living room surrounded by their house plants and family pictures or even in their kitchen under the bright sunlight. Remote working encourages workers to be productive, surrounded by a peaceful, relaxing space.
New Ways to Connect Beyond the Office
In addition to the benefits of remote working, technology is evolving along with the digital workspace. Apps such as Zoom, Slack, and Notion have become essential for employees to stay connected away from the office.
Aside from these apps, a growing community of remote apps is emerging, helping companies and employees navigate online work. One app that is changing the way workers communicate and network is Donut. This app is used in Slack to introduce new hires to a company while they work remotely. As described by Donut, “A big part of this knowledge is discovering shared interests that deepen relationships and acquiring such knowledge should not depend on time spent in person.” Donut makes it easier for employees to get to know each other through different channels. These channels differ from Slack since they encourage engagement aside from work and company business. Apps like Donut are hoping to increase positive employee interactions for both remote work and in-office employees.
As companies prepare to implement COVID-19 guidelines into their in-person workspace, some will continue to hire remote workers creating a hybrid of remote and in-office employees. The relationships formed between remote workers and the companies will continue to evolve as some have found multiple benefits from working at home. Technology for remote work is shifting towards positive company engagement among employees and the digital workspace. Economists predict that this evolution in remote work technology will enable companies and workers to provide more incentives and adopt this advancing technology into their work culture.
Work culture is constantly changing, yet throughout the course of the pandemic, it has drastically advanced. The negative stigma of remote workers being “lazy” has changed, becoming the complete opposite. Employees can navigate work and their personal lives without missing the hustle of in-office work. The future of remote work is looking bright as people globally are becoming more connected with companies expanding beyond the physical office environment.