Benefits of remote working for employees
Work-from-home advantages are plenty for employees for the following reasons.
Saving money
One of the advantages of working remotely is the additional cost savings. After rent, travel is the second largest expense for most employees in India.
Additionally, employees spend extra on office canteens, gas prices, tolls, and other miscellaneous items. By working from home, all of these additional costs are limited.
Saving commute time
Employees who had to travel at least 2 hours or more during the workday used to end up feeling exhausted when they finally arrived at the office.
One of the advantages of working from home is the absence of travel time. This saves time and increases productivity because you don’t have to travel to the office.
More independence
In a normal office environment, you’ll find yourself constantly switching between tasks and having many opinions about which tasks should be prioritized. But during remote work, with proper time management and discipline, you can work more independently.
This can help you add flair to your work, prioritize tasks, and stay in control of the tasks assigned to you.
Improved communication
Effective communication in the workplace requires clear context, active listening, and more. During normal office hours, you can meet face-to-face, which used to avoid miscommunication.
However, when working from home, you need to go the extra mile while communicating to keep the team updated on progress, issues, etc. so that the team is on the same page when it comes to work progress.
Relying primarily on telecommunication tools might seem like a downside to working remotely, but frequent use of communication tools can help improve communication rather than relying solely on face-to-face communication.
Useful articles: Top 8 Remote Collaboration Tools for Teams
Higher productivity
One of the advantages of working from home is the absence of the usual office distractions. A quieter atmosphere helps get work done faster and more peacefully.
All it takes is good time management and a to-do list to keep track of priority tasks.
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More flexible
Another advantage of working from home is work flexibility. By not having to travel, employees can save a lot of time and work when they are most productive.
Challengers of remote working for employees
The pros and cons of working remotely are two sides of the same coin. While the disadvantages vary from household to household, these are some common disadvantages of working from home.
Distractions while working
It’s true that working from home has no office distractions, but being at home has its own distractions.
Families are made up of family members and naturally there will be disturbances. You can notify your family to postpone discussions during off hours, lock the door to your workspace, or even use noise-cancelling headphones to block out the noise.
Lack of human contact
One of the biggest downsides of working from home is the lack of face-to-face interaction with friends and colleagues.
Communication with others helps us feel engaged, but without it, feelings of loneliness and isolation can take over. To avoid isolation, you can choose to video call or voice call with colleagues and friends.
Useful article: How to Overcome Loneliness as a Remote Worker
Disruption in work-life balance
Another downside of remote work is the lack of work-life balance. Working from home can erase the boundaries between work time and personal life for a variety of reasons.
To maintain a healthy work-life balance, it’s best to keep boundaries between work time and personal time.
Try to start work at the same time you would be in the office, and complete tasks during those hours. Avoid making get off work calls after hours unless it is absolutely urgent.
Useful articles: How to Achieve Work-Life Balance When Work Remotely
