For many, working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic is less than ideal but still a net positive, as there are many benefits.
- Getting more productivity out of employees
- Wasting less time commuting
- Avoiding coworker distractions
Working From Home Updates
There’s been a full year, or almost a full year, since the world changed forever with the recognition of the COVID-19 pandemic. In that time, wearing a mask has been politicized. Sports has stopped and restarted. Tampa Bay has emerged as a football, baseball, and hockey force to be reckoned with.
And, all over the world, people are moving to new locations as the pandemic drags on and working from home has become the norm. These days there are more than a few companies which are beginning to start reopening. There’s a clash coming between those who want to work anywhere they can and companies that are going to want employees to come back into the office.
More than people just not wanting to to ever go back to the office, some would not be able to go back to the office since they no longer work anywhere close to the office from where they started this journey. Workers from Chicago have moved to Seattle, workers from New York have moved to Thailand. Not in great numbers, but some of the workers are significant members of their teams.
What will companies do?
Remote Work Benefits
The working-from-home experience that overtook everyone during the pandemic was quite different from what a normal experience would be, but it was the first time many had done so. There are so many benefits to employers and employees when working from home is an option during times other than during a pandemic.
It’s an important list of benefits to be compiled, when you consider it. Those aspects that make work and working awful can be countered through remote access. And if there are those who prefer gathering in one location for work, this can also be accommodated.
Locations
Keeping a headquarters and a physical, central location can be beneficial for very large companies as well as for those that are very small. But a main location doesn’t need to mean that remote access can’t be granted as well.
Office Hours
If office hours are not set in stone, there’s an excellent opportunity for those outside an office setting to overwork, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Companies can make it clear that work occurs for eight hours a day, and no more. And with remote working it can be any eight hours, in many cases.
Lifestyles
Those who have very long commutes, very stressful jobs, unhealthy lifestyles and unhelpful coworkers can find other benefits of working from home. Of course, it doesn’t actually have to be home where one works from. It can be any remote location, and that’s one of the benefits.
Lifestyle choices can be limited due to the location of company headquarters. When remote access is granted, workers can choose to live in different cities, have different lifestyles entirely, and be truer versions of themselves. Those looking to raise kids outside of cities can work remotely forever, far from the noise of urban life. Those looking to live in the high energy of a city don’t have to work in the city closest to their job.
Remote Work
So, if a good thing is going, what’s the dilemma? Some companies are pleased enough to let employees work from home when it’s convenient for the corporation, but are less interested in what might be best from the employee’s point of view. That’s why it’s important to make a case for yourself as a remote worker while the idea is still fresh in everyone’s mind.
Productivity
Make sure you are getting all of your work done. Beyond any other thing, it is vital your work is being accomplished, and being done well. If there’s work being handed in that’s sloppy or missing, it won’t help your cause. Excellent work, done very well, is the best way to show your superiors in the company that you are not only handling working from home, but that you should be able to on an on-going basis.
Companies benefit from employees working from home during the pandemic because they can keep their businesses open and functioning. Companies also benefit from having happy employees. When employees want to come to work (even remotely) they are stay longer, engage in less gossip, and recommend excellent people to join the team.
Work Sites
Businesses also benefit by needing a smaller footprint. If 1/3 of their staff or employees works remotely at any given time, there’s no need to have a headquarters that could host the next Olympic games. Besides not needing the physical location, employees are responsible for their own food, lighting, and office supplies unless otherwise advised by the company. Since there’s no commute, there’s no need to reimburse travel expenses on a day-to-day basis either.
Hiring for remote workers also means the best employees can be found, even if they’re outside the headquarter’s city. A company with a large presence in Miami, Florida, can get the best writer, who’s might be in New Jersey. This increases employee loyalty because workers feel appreciated where they are.
Working from home was thrust upon the United States all at once, and for many, worked out very well. For those looking to continue to the trend, make certain your boss sees your productivity, knows your preferences, and can understand all the benefits.