Pros and cons of remote working

The coronavirus pandemic forced many workers to leave the office and work from home. Even though many of them have now returned to their regular workspace, it is likely the future will see many companies and positions using a sort of a hybrid model, whereby workers combine work from home and in the office. The benefits of working from home are obvious. But what are the drawbacks?

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Pros

As HR Magazine states, the benefits of working from home are quite clear. The most obvious one is that the worker has a better chance to balance their working and personal life. Also, we can all imagine the comfort of not having to get up in the morning, dress up smartly and commute to the workplace by public transport or private car. You are also able to plan your daily work with maximum flexibility.

Cons

The drawbacks of working from home are not necessarily so obvious. First of all, there is the fact that the premises for working and for personal life are not strictly separated, especially if you do not have a room at home specifically designated for work. In the long run, this physical separation of space is important for the work-life balance.

Further, some remote workers might fear that at home they will do less work than in an outside office, as they will not have a fixed routine. This will lead to procrastination and spending insufficient time on work as such. At home there are distractions that tend to divert one's attention away from work, such as reading, watching TV, chores, etc. However, this factor tends to operate in reverse: if working and non-working hours are not strictly separated, people do not know when to stop. The result is they work non-stop at half pace, often until late at night. In the long run, knowing when to stop is equally as important as knowing when to work; otherwise, you risk professional burnout.

Therefore, with regard to working from home, we recommend having a separate workspace, plus a strict schedule of both working hours and much needed relaxation time.

 

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Article source HR Magazine - a leading British magazine and website focused on HR
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