Working remotely has many advantages, and being remote in teamwork is one of them. If you’re looking to make the leap, here are the reasons why you should consider becoming a WFH (work-from-home) employee.
Flexible Working Hours
One of the major benefits of working remotely is that you set your own hours.
If you choose, you can work any hours you want and take as much time as you need.
Remote teams generally work a relaxed schedule, so many can log hours that are not typical of a 9 to 5 job. You’ll likely find that you work fewer hours and get more done because of it.
More importantly, this job flexibility allows you to take on as much or as little work as you can handle.
Saving Money
Another advantage of working remotely is that you’ll save a lot of money. You won’t need to spend expensive commuting costs or eat out a lot because you’re working from home.
You’ll also save on rent and insurance payments, which can contribute to your bottom line.
Money is always a top consideration for workers, especially those who are independent contractors or freelancers.
With remote work, you can save a significant amount of money without having to give up the flexibility that makes it attractive in the first place.
Health Benefits
A growing number of employers offer health benefits to their remote employees.
Some of the biggest brands are stepping up to the plate to provide excellent coverage for their remote workers.
If you’re looking to work remotely and don’t have job-sponsored healthcare, you should investigate the benefits that your state offers. Many of the healthcare providers that offer these plans also have extensive coverage for dental and vision care.
If you’re not familiar with the term ‘affordable healthcare’, you should definitely look into it.
Being remote can save you thousands in healthcare costs each year.
It’s also worth noting that healthcare costs increase while you’re still under treatment, so if you’ve been unemployed for a long time prior to securing work, you might need to look into insurance eligibility because of preexisting conditions.
Increased Productivity
Productivity increases when you work remotely.
This is mainly because it’s easier to handle multiple tasks while working from home.
You can also set your own pace and take breaks when you need them.
When you are constantly interrupted by phone calls, emails, and other tasks that need to be done, it can lower your overall productivity.
By working remotely, you increase your odds of completing all the tasks that need to be done without being slowed down by unnecessary chatter.
It’s also important to make sure that your workspace is representative of how you want to be perceived. If you’re not in a position to work remotely yet, consider making the move once you can.
You’ll be glad you did once you see how much more effective and productive you can be.
More Family Bonding Time
Workers who regularly log long hours away from home are usually on the lookout for ways to connect with their families more.
The ability to work remotely is often considered a ‘work-life balance’ skill, and it can be used to improve family bonding time.
If your job allows it, try and set up some meetings with your spouse or partner, sons, and daughters.
Video calls can also be a fantastic way to connect with those you love, no matter where they are in the world. It’s important to make sure that your family knows what you’re doing and why.
Letting them in on your plans will help build trust and show that you’re thinking of them when you’re making important decisions about your career.
It can also help get some much-needed family time in during those ‘work hard, play hard weeks when you’re on the road to a promotion or a new assignment.
There are many advantages to working remotely.
Being a remote team worker allows you to set your own hours, take breaks when you need them, and reduce your stress. Not everyone will be able to make the jump to remote work yet, but those who can definitely consider doing so.
Once you’ve tried it, you’ll never look at your job the same way again.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that while this might be a great job for some, it’s definitely not for everyone.
Make sure that you’re comfortable with the responsibilities that come with the position, and that you’re willing to put in the necessary hours to learn the new skills that are needed to succeed.
Then, you can look forward to a new and improved version of yourself.
- Lower Productivity
When you work remotely, you have the flexibility to work remotely. You can log on from anywhere and work remotely. It might seem like a dream come true for busy professionals who want to quickly get some work done and be on their way.
The issue with this flexibility is that it can lead to lower productivity. If you want to get a lot of work done, you might end up choosing to work in this way because it fits perfectly with your schedule.
But if you want to be highly effective, you might choose to work in a more conventional manner.
The bottom line is that, when you’re not in the office, you’re not going to be as engaged as you would be if you were working remotely part-time while also taking care of your kids. This can result in fewer sales and lower productivity overall.
- Poor Communication
While great for getting work done, remote working also has its disadvantages.
One of the most significant is that it often leads to poor communication. You might log on to discuss a deal with a customer, only to discover that they do not answer their phone.
You might discuss details of an important deal with a colleague and realize that, even though you’re both online, you can’t actually see each other well enough to have a conversation.
Even when you’re in the same room together, when you’re working remotely the usual methods of communication that you use — such as talking and walking around — can be difficult.
Because there’s no face-to-face interaction, it’s more challenging to ensure that everyone is on the same page. This creates additional work and possibly some anxiety when trying to coordinate events or get things done.
In addition to this, even when you are physically in the same place, you might not be able to hear each other well enough to have a proper conversation.
This is why meeting in person is still considered the best way to ensure that your interactions are productive and that you understand each other fully.
- Lack Of Teamwork
One of the most significant disadvantages of working remotely is that it can lead to a lack of teamwork.
In the same way that some people are more effective working alone than in teams, some teams are more effective working remotely than in an office.
The issue is that it can be difficult to ensure that everyone involved in a project is pulling their weight and that no one is being left out.
Traditional offices can be cumbersome when it comes to ensuring that everyone is working toward the same goal.
Depending on how large your organization is, you might have a meeting room, conference area, kitchen, and lounge.
Each of these areas has its purpose, but they don’t always serve as well when it comes to promoting collaboration and productivity.
When everyone is physically in the same space, there’s no need for meetings — especially not expensive ones — to resolve conflicts or misunderstandings. This can result in wasted time and costly errors.
In addition, working remotely often requires a lot of one-on-one communication, which can be very distracting, especially when you’re already bogged down with a lot of work.
- Lack Of Customer Focus
A major disadvantage of working remotely is that it can result in a loss of customer focus.
When you’re not in the office, it might be difficult to ensure that all of your customers are still seen as valuable and appreciated.
In the same way that we lose focus on things outside of our direct control, such as traffic and weather, we can also lose sight of the fact that some of our customers might be less than pleased with what we’re providing.
You might assume, based on your customers’ behaviour, that everything is OK. But, in reality, their needs and wants can change at any time without warning or notice.
This makes it difficult to provide the best experience for every customer all of the time. Especially since, as a remote employee, you might not be as in tune with what’s going on with your customers.
In addition to this, even when you are physically in the same place, you might not be able to observe all of the customers that you interact with.
This makes it more difficult to provide an exceptional experience for everyone, without exception. Since customers expect a certain level of quality, it’s important to monitor their feedback and ensure that they continue to feel valued as buyers and that their needs are being met.
In the event that something does go wrong, it’s also important that you identify the cause and correct it, as swiftly as possible, so that your customers continue to feel confident in purchasing your product or service.
- No Social Life
Another significant disadvantage of working remotely is that it often leads to a lack of social life.
In the same way that we sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture when we’re so focused on our work, we can lose sight of our personal lives as well.
There are certainly times when we need to be completely focused on our work and not be distracted by anything or anyone.
But, generally speaking, working remotely can result in fewer social interactions and less engagement with others.
Since we live in a society that values and promotes social connections and relationships, this could potentially be a significant disadvantage for your professional and personal life.
You might assume, based on the above points, that working remotely would be perfect for everyone. But, in reality, there are some cases where it doesn’t work out as well as you would hope.
For whatever reason, some employees just don’t seem to thrive when working remotely.
In these cases, it might be best to find a different solution or arrange some form of a physical meeting.
- Loss Of Privacy
Another significant disadvantage of working remotely is that it can result in a loss of privacy.
When you’re physically in the same room as a colleague, there’s always the possibility that you could be observed by someone else.
This is particularly true if you’re working remotely part-time and someone decides that, just this once, they want to pop in and see what you’re up to.
Even if you have your laptop closed, there’s still the possibility that someone could come in and spy on you.
Since working remotely is generally considered to be a more efficient use of your time, you might assume that everyone would eagerly jump at the chance to do it. But, in reality, not everyone finds the idea of working remotely appealing.
For whatever reason, some people just prefer to stick with what they know.
So, if you’re looking for a way to improve employee engagement levels, boost productivity, and ensure that your customers continue to feel valued, consider working remotely for some time — as long as you can find the right collaborators and team members for the job.
