Emily Davies evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of continuing to work remotely after the pandemic.
Photo by Elly Fairytale
When the pandemic hit, everyone had to adjust to a lot of changes very quickly. One of these changes was an upheaval in the way we work. For some job roles, this meant remote working: a swift change from the busy, social office environment with limited distractions to working at a desk on your laptop a lot of technical problems as people try to figure out Zoom and discover their internet is a nightmare.
But what about after, when staff are allowed to go back to the office safely? How many will actually want to go back to the old ways? This article may help you to decide, if you’re facing this dilemma.
Benefits
1. Money
Working from home can save a lot of money. In England, 67% of people ordinarily drive to work and 10% take the train; think of the money saved on train tickets and petrol if this were to change permanently, let alone the environmental impacts of taking so many cars off the road. Emissions plummeted in lockdown – working from home could keep them down. How many of you buy lunch out when at work? Think of all the money saved by eating at home. Instead, this money would be spent on home office equipment and better Wi-Fi, but it would almost certainly add up to less in the end.
Working from home would benefit employers financially too. A survey of office managers found that they expect employees to work from home up to 36% more once the pandemic is over. Pre-pandemic, staff were only at their office 50-60% of the time anyway, which was a waste of money. If more work from home, then employers can save money by downsizing office buildings.
Several businesses are already doing this, with the BBC selling some of their buildings in London and opening offices around the country to diversify and localise content, but also to save money on real estate costs. Smaller offices outside urban centres are hoped to increase companies’ budgets, so the spaces will be of higher quality and more technologically advanced, and employees can have a better experience when in the office.
Microsoft and Spotify are also offering options for workers to work from home or at the office permanently, or a blend of the two; increased flexibility will give employees more of a voice in their working arrangements. Spotify has gone into detail about this new work-model, explaining a redesign of offices will incorporate quiet spaces, shared-desk spaces and more lounging areas, providing more space.
2. Measuring Success
One criticism of working from home is employers not trusting their staff to actually work. This is something they’ve had to adapt to over the pandemic — not being able to walk around the office to make sure everyone is busy. Trust also comes into play if the job role involves responsibilities that can’t be monitored on a system, and frequent calls to catch up with every employee may be an annoying waste of time.
However, this is probably a good thing. Instead of measuring success by appearances of hardworking staff, measure it by results. In the same vein, promotions to manager positions will change. Instead of promoting people on their technical skills and proficiency, promotions will have to factor in valuable people skills and an ability to communicate online.
Drawbacks
1. Social Inequality
Of course, remote working isn’t feasible for everyone. Studies show that the maximum potential for working from home is mainly spread among highly-educated workers in specific industries and countries. Jobs that cannot be done remotely tend to have the highest potential for automation and low wages. If remote working among those who can do it takes hold, this will exaggerate social differences across careers.
A McKinsey & Co. study has found that over 20% of workers could work from home as effectively as they would at an office. If the majority of those who can work remotely did so, this would impact transportation and consumer spending patterns, possibly causing a knock-on effect in other sectors.
2. Mental Health
While most people typically complain about getting up for work on Monday morning, many have felt lost without their usual routines and missed the typical workday during the pandemic. For many people, their colleagues are their primary social circles, and not being able to see them every day for a catch up has an impact on mental health. A call on Zoom just isn’t the same.
Additionally, without the strict 9-5 routines, it becomes harder to separate work from home, and many can face difficulties of unwinding and switching off from work. This can lead to higher levels of stress and difficulty sleeping.
Conclusion
Remote working is probably here to stay for some, at least for now. For those who can effectively work from home, bosses are increasingly likely to offer more flexibility, allowing more workers to remain at home at least some of the time. Fully remote working may have profound impacts on mental health and widen the social divide, but a hybrid of remote and office will allow people to feel happier, spend more time with their family and save money.
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