The coronavirus pandemic caused the remote workforce to grow. Experts estimate up to half of Americans worked from the living rooms and home offices during the pandemic. With many employers and employees liking the idea, working from home is here to stay.
Some love working from home, but others don’t like the idea. There are benefits and drawbacks.
Here’s more on if joining the remote workforce is right for you.
A Remote Workforce Increases Productivity
Many employers and employees report working from home increases productivity. Perhaps there are fewer distractions in your home office and fewer people to talk to casually within the office.
With fewer interruptions throughout the day, you can focus on your assigned tasks. Working from home also allows you to organize your home office on your terms, one of the biggest benefits of remote work. Another way from which you can save money and focus on your main business is outsourcing some tasks such as recruitment or payroll processing to an EoR company able to help you with his knowledge.
Less Commuting Time
Americans spend a lot of time in the car commuting to and from the office. One of the biggest benefits of remote work is no commute!
This saves on travel expenses such as gasoline, mass transit tickets, and lost time sitting in traffic. It also cuts down on the aggravation of spending sometimes hours each day in a car.
Be Your Own Boss
Being a part of the remote workforce also allows you to be your own boss. You can begin freelancing for companies.
Freelance work typically doesn’t come with health benefits, but you work on your own terms and take on work at your own pace. Freelancers accept remote jobs in large part so they can work nights and weekends.
To begin freelancing, you’ll need good organizational skills with apps such as Hectic.
Increased Isolation
Working from home can cause increased isolation. With no one at home all day, you don’t physically interact with other people. That could affect mental health.
Remote jobs foster social isolation, which means fewer office friendships, get-togethers, and work lunches. When you are working from home, fewer opportunities exist to socialize and interact with employees.
Introverted people may find this one of the benefits of working from home, but extroverts will disagree.
Managing Your Time
Some may find working from home brings on a whole new set of self-management strategies.
Walking the dog, cooking meals from scratch, and running the kids to sports practices might all figure into your new self-management strategies while working from home.
This could be one of the benefits of remote work, or it could become challenging. You may find a strict set of workplace rules is best for your style. You may also love the flexibility working from home allows you and your family.
Joining the Remote Workforce: Benefits and Challenges
Is joining the remote workforce right for you? You can increase productivity, commute less, and be your own boss. You might also find difficulty with increased isolation and self-management strategies.
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