A vast percentage of employees have always wanted to work from home; most people will acknowledge that there are days spent working in the office when simply nothing gets done.
And when I say nothing, I don’t mean people aren’t working. In reality, a day of nothing actually means doing a lot of work. This will normally include extensive meetings, planning, strategy, and phone calls. When you combine this with a commute and general chit chat with colleagues there is a chance you haven’t had time to do what you are accountable for.
Up until recently, remote work was something that many managers wanted to entrust their staff with, but perhaps the company culture dictated that this wasn’t ‘a thing’ they could take seriously.
Covid-19 has thrust upon us working from home, but is it here to stay? And if it is and we are to build this into our working lives, what are the best practices to work to?
In this article, we look at:
- The benefits of remote working for employees
- The benefits of remote work for employers
- Remote working challenges and opportunities
- Challenges for employers
1. The benefits of remote working for employees
One of the most significant benefits for remote workers is the time saved from commuting to work. You can now tackle the same amount of office work in a shorter overall day, which is good news for your personal life and mental well-being.
However, employees and companies alike, should be careful to ensure a trend isn’t created where individuals work significantly more hours per week, because the commute no longer exists. It is impossible for workers to maintain such a schedule during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.
2. The benefits of remote work for employers
Just as no commute when working remotely is a benefit for employees, it is also a benefit for companies. According to research published on the EU Science Hub site, remote work increases the person’ productivity.
Some companies will not have yet experienced the full benefit of increased productivity during Covid-19, as some employees also had to juggle home-schooling commitments. So, companies that stick with a remote workforce, have more good news to come.
Businesses are able to cut costs when all or a portion of the workforce, work remotely. Businesses can scale back their real estate holding, with fewer offices required. The rent the company pays will be reduced, along with associated costs, such as utilities, site security, and property management.
3. Remote working challenges and opportunities for employees
Below is advice about the working conditions and practices you should apply to enable you to perform effectively when working from home, during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.
No long commutes
In a normal working day, your commute gives you the chance to consider what your tasks are and generally what you are going to be doing. So, whether you are consciously aware of it, you are probably planning or at least thinking about what you are going to be doing that day on your journey into work. So, when working from home, to ensure you are productive, create a to-do list.
Organising your remote working office space
Having the right frame of mind is essential, so prepare your workspace and desk to replicate your office as much possible.
Be mindful of your well-being
Don’t stay cooped up inside all day just because you are working from home. Make special efforts to get out. At work, if you frequently visit coffee shops and take time off for lunch then do so when working from home. This will help you keep a clear mind; give you focus and keep you motivated.
Remove distractions
Prevent the internet from being a distraction during working hours. It is too easy to waste time, so avoid the distractions by logging out of social media accounts and resist visiting sites that are going to disrupt your workflow.
Schedule your daily tasks
Do more, or at least try to! We all know that tasks often take longer than you initially expect them to. For that reason, you'll frequently get less done than you set out to do. So, just as you're encouraged to overestimate how much time you'll spend doing one thing, you should also overestimate how many things you'll do during the day. Even if you come up short of your goal, you'll still come out of that day with a solid list of tasks filed under 'complete.'
Assess your productivity at different times or locations
Choose the right jobs, for the right time. Consider when you are your most productive and manage your work accordingly. If you are constantly reliant on your colleague’s support, then maybe you are working on the wrong jobs. Consider doing the jobs you struggle to do at work from home. At home, you should have an environment where you aren’t distracted whereas at work, this may not be possible.
Consider saving your harder tasks for when you are the most productive or consider making them a priority. Hard jobs aren’t going to go away so there is no point hoping they will. As you do at work, deal with them head-on and revisit them if you need to, but get stuck in as quickly as possible!
Inspired to find jobs where you can work remotely after the pandemic? Read Ten Highest Paid Jobs Working From Home.
Schedule business calls
Choosing suitable times to schedule calls is important because if you are organised enough to plan ahead then you should also plan the potential outcome of each call and what work might be required as a result. Workers should think about setting up calls in the morning as this will help you to be more efficient throughout the rest of the day by giving added focus on tasks in hand and deadlines that you need to hit.
Embrace video conferencing and chat applications
At the start, working from home will probably feel motivating but in the longer term you might feel cut off from the workplace. Using technology like Zoom, Microsoft Team and other instant messaging and video conferencing tools can make it easier to work with your colleagues.
The feeling of working together reminds you how you are contributing to the big picture and in turn, this keeps you motivated. Regular contact with your team also stimulates knowledge sharing, and you can shed light on issues you or colleagues are experiencing.
Hold yourself accountable or find yourself an accountability buddy
If you have family or friends at home during the pandemic, share with them what you are doing and what tasks you intend to complete. You’ll hopefully have their interest, but you would have made a commitment to the jobs and this will mean that you are more likely to finish them.
Take regular breaks
Taking breaks is a vital component of being more productive. Rather than surfing the net when taking a break, do something that is away from desk altogether and channel your energy into relaxing. This can include shopping, walking, going to the gym, or going out to grab lunch.
Interacting with other people will enable you to boost your productivity. Whether it is with colleagues, the neighbour, or the postman, it’s a good idea to see other people whilst working from home.
Find future jobs by learning in-demand skills
It does not matter if you are a mum, were forced onto furlough, are in your 60s, or fall into the category of younger workers. Learning in-demand skills will prepare you for the future of work and help you secure the job of your dreams. During the Covid-19 pandemic, LinkedIn paired up with partners such as Microsoft and GitHub, to help workers learn in-demand work job skills.
You can access the LinkedIn resource site here.
The costs of working remotely
Remote workers should also take the time to assess the financial costs of a world where working remotely is the norm. During the pandemic, we tackled the topic and created a report detailing the costs and expenses the average remote worker might incur.
The government provides information on claiming tax relief for your job expenses, which you can read here.
Read: Costs You Need To Consider When Working From Home.
4. Challenges for employers
Below are various issues employers will need to consider when the post pandemic future of work is remote work. The response during the first half of the pandemic was rushed, so now is the time to step back and look at a future where a higher percentage of workers are home-based.
Cybersecurity
Businesses will have challenges to overcome now and when the pandemic ends. For example, when workers and partners operate from home, cybersecurity needs rethinking. Aside from the cost of cybersecurity tech companies introducing new security measures, training workers to prevent successful phishing email attacks and data breaches is equally crucial.
Digital skills
Enhanced productivity when workers operate from home requires an investment in training on digital skills. A recent survey and report (EU research) found that one third of the workforce has limited digital skills, with two thirds prepared for the future of work. The report and survey data highlights that the majority of future jobs will require moderate computer and digital skills, so companies will need to scale up the training of their workers.
Remote work conclusion
Many people believe working from home establishes a great work-life balance, but this isn’t always true. Working from home can be lonely and you can get so immersed in your work that it has a negative impact on your mental health, so make sure you manage this aspect accordingly.
Some actions that will help have already been mentioned but to recap, make sure you don’t work too many hours, take breaks, speak with people (particularly during the pandemic) and get out of the house.
Pandemic and remote work FAQs
Next, we answer the most frequently asked questions on remote work from workers, leaders, and businesses.
Will the world continue with remote work after the pandemic?
Survey data from EU countries show that more than half of workers worked from home during the Covid-19 pandemic. The survey data of pre pandemic levels shows around 5% of workers were remote, across European countries. The government and EU believe their countries will adopt hybrid working in advanced economies.
The pandemic has ushered in an era where the average worker in EU countries should expect to work two or three days a week from home, and the remaining days in their business’s offices.
How should I prepare for working remotely?
Workers should engage personally or with their companies to acquire digital skills training. In five years, most jobs will require at least medium-level computer skills. Workers should also consider their work from home business expenses. If you run a business from home, you may need to consider costs for home and liability insurance, medical care, increased utility bills, access to a faster internet connection, and home office furnishing costs.