Work from home advantages and disadvantages- the good, the bad, and the ugly
As companies were forced to shut down physical workspaces during the pandemic, they turned towards remote work as their only option. Yet, the only option instantly became the favorite option, and now there is a huge preference for remote work more than ever.
Working from home is a dream come true for most employees and companies. However, it also had its downsides. The following article will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of work from home. At the end of the article, we also offer remedial measures on how managers can effectively control the dark side of remote work.
The Advantages of Work From Home- Why Remote Work is a General Favorite
Work from home has its advantages and disadvantages. When it comes to its advantages, it is a win-win for both the company and the employee. Working from home saves energy, cost, and time on either end. Research has highlighted the following benefits of working from home.
1. Work From Home is Cost-Effective
The most obvious advantage of working from home is its cost-effectiveness. All businesses today want to cut costs and raise profits. Working from home helps them save fuel allowances, rent, utilities, office spaces, maintenance, etc.
On the employee’s end, working from home saves them travel, fuel, and maintenance cost. Best of all, it saves them the cost of buying outfits for your daily office wear. For workers that are parents, it also keeps the cost of child care services as you will have your children near you.
2. It Allows Flexible Working Hours
One of the most remarkable advantages of work from home is the working hours flexibility. In most companies, you don’t necessarily have to stick to a strict 9 to 5 work schedule (some may still require fixed office timings). You can work at your own pace, check those emails at your convenience or make those excel sheets when you want. This degree of flexibility offers employees a sense of empowerment, raising their involvement and commitment to the company.
3. It Fosters Greater Organizational Commitment
A surprising advantage of working from home is employees’ greater commitment to their organization. A study found that remote workers are more committed to their companies as they have more positive feelings about their company than workers on-site.
4. Greater Motivation and Job Satisfaction
Remote workers find their jobs more satisfying and more pleasing. They feel more motivated to perform their tasks and are more passionate about their work than the conventional on-site worker. Their job satisfaction levels are also more significant, and they are less likely to quit. Companies looking for employee retention solutions might want to try working from home.
Related: The Future of Workplace is Here and Transforming the Way We Work
5. Increased Employee Efficiency and Productivity
Another astonishing advantage of remote work over on-site work is increased employee productivity. Employees who work from home perform the same tasks more efficiently and outperform those who work at offices. Remote workers put in more hours of work and more significant effort as they log into their systems for longer hours. They don’t keep an eye out on the clock for time to go home as they already are at home. Likewise, the time they used to spend commuting to and from the workplace is now utilized in work itself.
6. Greater Degree of Freedom and Creativity
Remote work increases the freedom of work for employees as they are no longer monitored as stringently as those on site. It increases their freedom to work which fosters creative thinking and problem-solving. Moreover, it spares them the time to voluntarily invest in their personal and career growth by learning more about their field, such as through online training courses.
Disadvantages of Work From Home- The Unexpected Downside
Work from home disadvantages
1. Finding Less Meaning in Work
Employees who don’t physically come to work daily may lose sight of the company’s mission and goals. When they can’t see the higher purpose behind their tasks, they may lose a sense of meaning in their work.
In physical workplaces, interaction with other people allows employees to assimilate into the company culture and have greater coordination. On the other hand, there is limited interaction in remote workspaces, so remote workers naturally feel isolated from their company and colleagues. They may feel a lack of sense of belongingness.
2. Additional Costs for Employees
While working from home does reduce the company’s cost of workspace, rent, and utilities, it displaces these costs onto the employees. To work from home, workers have to create an office space in their homes where they can work in isolation. Moreover, they have to bear technological expenses such as video cams, audio devices, laptops, etc., and office equipment such as stationary is no longer in the company. Employees use their internet and electricity for office work.
3. Increase in Working Hours
Probably the most noteworthy disadvantage of working from home that managers often overlook is the increase in work time. Research finds that remote workers invest more time and effort, log into the system for longer, and receive calls outside working hours. They put in extra time than regular employees do at their jobs.
4. Maintaining Boundaries and Work-Life Balance
Remember that hilarious BBC interview clip in which a professor was being interviewed online from home, and his kid just barged in?
One of the critical difficulties in remote jobs is balancing work and home life. While working from home, it is hard to restrict work and home life into separate domains. When you go to an office, you immediately transition into work mode. However, the line between the two gets blurry when your home is the office. It causes spilling over of work and home life into each other, and you cannot switch either mode on or off. As a result, you constantly check your work messages all day and think about work even when you’re not working. Thus, remote working has a poor work-life balance.
What should managers do to overcome the dark side of remote work?
Manager talking to remote employees
From the article, it is clear that work from home has its advantages and disadvantages. Although the drawbacks of working from home may seem grim, they can be managed. Managers need to proactively assist their remote workers to get the most out of their remote jobs through steps such as:
- Assist workers in establishing and maintaining boundaries between work and home life
- Make arrangements for employees to keep in touch with each other and have a support system, so they do not feel abandoned
- Organize informal physical, face-to-face meetups for remote workers living near the company. For employees far off from the company, arrange get-togethers for employees close to each other within a region/city.
- Resist the temptation to control remote workers and trust them with their jobs so they can work creatively. Allow them freedom and flexibility in achieving their tasks and watch their efficiency and productivity rise.
- Communicate the company’s mission and purpose clearly and remind remote workers now and again. Explain why employees are doing what they’re doing and how their work contributes to the company’s ultimate goal, so they feel their work is meaningful.
- Appreciate your remote workers for their work and contributions to the organization. Provide them with encouragement, support, and care and make them feel like valued members of the organization.
- Lastly, avoid burdening employees with technological expenses. Provide them with the resources needed for the job, such as office equipment, camera or other technological devices, computer software, etc. The more you support your workers, the greater their satisfaction and retention.
