The Pro’s And Cons Of Remote Work

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve seen a big change in the way that people work. When quarantine laws were implemented, business owners had two choices: either they closed their offices indefinitely, or they moved to a remote workspace. Naturally, the businesses that could function remotely opted for the latter.

During this time we saw improvements in productivity, mental well-being, and overall job satisfaction. Employers saw how beneficial virtual working was for both employees and their businesses, and many have decided not to return to traditional office working. Some have even implemented ‘hybrid’ offices – where office attendance is possible, but not mandatory. 

Remote Work: A Deep-Dive

First, let’s define ‘remote working’. According to the Cambridge online dictionary, remote employees work “mainly from home and communicate with the company by email and telephone”. 

This concept has expanded over the years. Software has been developed to assist every aspect of the teleworking lifestyle. Home offices can be exchanged for shared workspaces and coffee shops, and countries have even begun offering digital nomad VISAs. All in all, it seems as if the world has adapted to remote workspaces. 

There is, however, some debate about whether or not this method is necessarily better than in-person work. While the benefits are undeniable, there is something to be said about the social and learning elements of office working. Now that quarantine laws have lifted, will remote offices prevail? 

To answer that question, we can look at examples from before COVID-19.

In 2007, Yahoo implemented a work-from-home initiative. This was not out of necessity, but a way to increase productivity and comfort for employees. The initiative ended in 2013 – not because it failed, but because of the social advantages of in-person work. Joe Flanagan, a professional employment advisor, says that office relationships “play a big role in reaffirming our sense of value … and supporting us to grow professionally”.

On the other side of the spectrum, studies show that remote work can be beneficial to productivity and output levels, as well as allowing employees to prioritize life experiences without slacking on their jobs. It has been a game-changer for working parents and caretakers, as well as those with disabilities. 

So which one is it? Is remote work the future, or do the negatives outweigh the positives?

Let’s break down the facts.

THE ADVANTAGES OF REMOTE WORK

The perks of online work are plenty. From freedom to flexibility, employers and employees are able to plan their work around their lives, instead of the other way around. 

Employees can enjoy a greater work/life balance and work in an environment of their choosing. The list of advantages is a long one, including but not limited to:

• • The freedom to work from wherever; whether that means the comfort of home or traveling the world.

• • Flexible days; if important errands come up, it doesn’t have to take time from the work day.

• • The job pool is bigger – no need to relocate to work for your dream company.

• • The ability to balance work around family, personal, or social events.

• • People with physical disabilities no longer have to worry about office accessibility, which increases their job prospects.
     

Benefits to employers aren’t often explored, but there are many: 

• • Business costs are significantly lower without expenses such as rent or office equipment.

• • The hiring pool is increased; options are no longer limited by area or even country. No relocation costs, either!

• • Productivity and output are increased – with employees being “an average of 35-40% more productive” with a 4.4% higher output, according to Forbes.
    
    

There aren’t only benefits to businesses and employees; less commuting has positively impacted both global and local environments. 

Remote work may not be all sunshine and roses, though. More and more people are petitioning to return to a physical workspace, and it isn’t difficult to see why. 

THE DISADVANTAGES OF REMOTE WORK

Where we saw improvements in productivity and mental health at the beginning of the teleworking trend, studies show that the statistics are changing. Critics think that working remotely isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and it looks like they may be right. 

For employees, remote work can be more challenging than beneficial:

• • Some workers reported a worse work/life balance, instead of a better one.

• • The loss of social connection provided by in-office work has made many people feel isolated and lonely. 

• • Feelings of isolation contribute to mental health issues, especially feelings of depression.

• • According to Hive, 74% of remote workers developed mental health issues after working from home.

• • Out of this group, 55% reported two mental health issues arising – mainly anxiety and depression.

• • Reports show that being in-office is highly beneficial for development; employees can easily learn from their peers and from experience. Virtual work simply doesn’t offer these lessons.

• • Workers who lived with other people experienced more interruptions, which was detrimental to productivity and even prolonged work hours.

Businesses have also experienced negative impacts since implementing remote working:

• • Onboarding has become tricky – new hires may be overwhelmed by training and simultaneously adjusting to new platforms.

• • Cybersecurity becomes a concern when employees use untrusted networks, such as Wi-Fi in coffee shops.

• • Team-building becomes very difficult –  virtual activities aren’t as conducive to bonding as in-person ones.
    
    

So which one is it? Will remote work become the status quo, or will businesses return to traditional office spaces?

THE FUTURE OF REMOTE WORKING

Are remote workspaces the future?

It’s difficult to give a definite answer to this question – so many factors come into play. While there are clear benefits to remote work, one can’t argue against those of in-person offices. 

Trends show that fully virtual workspaces are likely not the future. What we could expect to see is an increase in hybrid workspaces. This way, businesses can have the best of both worlds: flexibility for employees, as well as a space for peers to bond and learn from one another.

Experts seem to think along the same lines. Johnny Taylor Jr., CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, says, “I think that number will never exceed 30 percent fully remote. What percentage will have some remote work? Probably 60 to 65 percent”. This doesn’t mean that remote workspaces are destined for failure, just that adjustments need to be made. 

The only certainty is that traditional work environments are changing. A shift to fully online workspaces is unlikely, but businesses can still benefit from increasing flexibility for their employees. 

Who knows – we could see a whole new workspace emerge in the future. For now, we can’t be entirely sure. 

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