REMOTE WORK AND ITS PROS AND CONS

Remote work is a working style that allows professionals to work outside of a traditional office environment. It is based on the concept that work does not need to be done in a specific place to be executed successfully.

The act of an employee working remotely, away from the employer's main office, is known as remote work. A worker's home, a co-working space, another communal area, a private office, or any other site other than the typical corporate office building or campus could be considered such places (vmware,2023).

The COVID-19 pandemic has made remote work the standard for businesses, but employee demand for it was already rising; according to a 2019 report, 34% of respondents would even accept a wage cut if they could work remotely some of the time. To bring in and keep the talent the company requires, HR experts and business executives must address this demand. (Dyer,2021)

Remote workers can carry out their projects and achieve their objectives wherever they wish, as opposed to making the daily commute to an office to work from a certain desk. People have the freedom to plan their days in a way that allows them to live their professional and personal lives to the fullest and coexist amicably (Hamingson,2023).

There are many studies explain diverse type of pros and cons of remote work. According to the David (2011), before the pandemic. Pros of remote work are;

-Fitting in a family commitment with work

-Elimination of wasted commuting time.

-Reduction in expensive office space.

-Improved work life balance

-Flexible working time

-Improved geographical coverage

According to the Neely (2021),the benefits of remote working—including nonexistent commute times, lower operational costs, and a larger pool of global job applicants— after the covid many companies, including Twitter and Google, plan to permanently incorporate remote days or give employees the option to work from home full-time.

According to RY(2023), How Remote Work Benefits Employees

1.Flexible lifestyle

People prefer remote employment for a variety of reasons, but the more flexible lifestyle is the most common one. Remote workers can concentrate on the things that are important to them outside of the office when they are not forced to be in an office within a specific time period.

2.Better health and wellness

Compared to their coworkers in offices, remote employees are noticeably less stressed and have higher morale. 55% of participants in a study by the Royal Society for Public Health in the UK reported feeling more stressed as a result of their commute. Employers may foster less stressed workers by doing away with the commute and allowing remote workers to work in a setting where they feel at ease.

69% of remote workers reported lower absenteeism than non-remote employees according to a 2014 study by PGi.

 

3.Renewed passion for their job

In general, remote workers produce their best work away from the office. They can choose to block off ambient distractions as they see fit and are more motivated by their surroundings. In fact, having the option to work alone virtually gives remote workers a fresh outlook on their job. They see it as encouragement or a reward for their good work and are inspired to keep going above and beyond their goals in order to keep leading the life they've grown to enjoy.‍

Figure 01: Remote-Work

How Remote Work Benefits Employers

‍1.Higher productivity

The enhanced productivity that comes with flexibility is one of the most popular justifications for working remotely. Compared to office-based employees, remote workers are more likely to put up extra effort and go above and beyond to complete their assignment. The State and Work Productivity Report indicates that 65% of full-time employees think working remotely will boost productivity, and their managers concur.

2.Cost savings

Additionally beneficial to a company's bottom line are remote workers. Companies can experience lower overhead by saving money on expenses like rent and office furniture if a workforce is fully distributed. ‍

3.Engaged employees

Employers provide remote work alternatives in addition to increased profit margins and better-quality, more productive work to keep their staff members happy and motivated. Employee engagement is not simply a fad when it comes to remote work; according to a Softchoice study, nearly 75% of respondents claimed they would leave their current position for one that permitted remote work. Employers who are concerned about retaining talent will pay greater attention if they hear that.

A new study from Harvard Business School says geographic flexibility can save money for businesses and staffers. Researchers found employees who worked remotely raised revenue and productivity and boosted their local economy.

To get more idea on this blog post topic please watch below video: LinkedIn senior editor-at-large Jessi Hempel discusses the benefits of working remotely.

Video : What are the pros and cons of working remotely?(By CBS Morning Television Programme / Jessi Hempel- LinkedIn senior editor,2019)

According to Kissflow (2022) Cons of the Remote Work

1. No face-to-face connection

Newly remote teams may find it challenging to communicate and collaborate since there are no team meetings or in-person contact. Managers are concerned that team members may not perform as well as they did in the office. Employees may also experience difficulties as a result of management' diminished support and guidance. Employees frequently feel excluded when remote bosses are unaware of their demands and difficulties.

2. Lack of access to information

It might be difficult for remote employees to access and obtain all the information they need to manage their work without the proper onboarding procedure or assistance. Employees look for information for 30% of their working hours on average. This percentage rises further when employees work remotely because they are left on their own and have a limited number of messages they can send to coworkers for assistance, which inevitably lowers productivity and employee engagement.

3. Decreased collaboration

Employees have less of an opportunity to chat with one another during lunch or coffee breaks when teams operate remotely. From a distance, these discussions might appear pointless, yet they actually enhance team coordination and communication.

Team members feel awkward approaching their coworkers about any obstacles or issues that might be harming their job when remote teams rigidly limit their talks to work and forbid any casual chats.

4. Loneliness and isolation

People's lives get structure and routine from going to work every morning. Employees interact with one another and even those in other departments while they are at work.

But using a laptop for work may be terribly solitary and lonely. While some choose to work from a cafe or coworking space to prevent loneliness. Frustration, burnouts, and decreased productivity might eventually result from ongoing isolation and a lack of team interaction.

Conclusion: After the pandemic, remote work became more popular. There are many studies that explain the diverse types of pros and cons of remote work. Remote work needs to be chosen based on the business of the company. Right now, there are many well reputed companies in the world, such as Amazon, Apple, Dell, etc. Giving priority to remote work. The HR department and top management need to decide which departments need to function remotely.

References;

CBS Morning(2019) What are the pros and cons of working remotely? [online] 4OD. 26 August, 22:00. Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmIW-qLSILQ [Accessed 23 April 2023]

David,N. and Suzy,S. (2011) Remote Working Linking People and Organization. 4^th Edition. New York:Routledge [Online] Available at : https://books.google.com.sa/books?hl=en&lr=&id=uXwABAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=remote+work&ots=g3DMjyKwvo&sig=xwAUnkTPyMD_Rdm53GRxoP05n0Y&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=remote%20work&f=false [Accessed April 2023]

Dyer, C. and Shepherd, K. (2021) Remote Work. 1st edn. Kogan Page. Available at: https://www.perlego.com/book/2568730/remote-work-redesign-processes-practices-and-strategies-to-engage-a-remote-workforce-pdf [Accessed April 2023]

Hamingson,N.(2023)Future of Remote Work. BND:Waltham Available at: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/8156-future-of-remote-work.html[Accessed April 2023]

Kissflow (2022) Remote Work Pros and Cons That You Should Know Available at: https://kissflow.com/digital-workplace/remote-work/pros-and-cons-of-working-remotely/

 [Accessed April 2023]

Neeley, T.(2021) Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding from Anywhere. New York: Harper Business. [Online] Available at : https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=58390&trk=public_post_comment-text [Accessed April 2023]

RemoteYear(2023),What is remote work:Maxico Available at: https://www.remoteyear.com/blog/what-is-remote-work [Accessed April 2023]

Vmware,(2023) What is remote work: Available at: https://www.vmware.com/topics/glossary/content/remote-work.html#cat-682848219 [Accessed April 2023]