Client newsletter | The pros and cons of remote working | 14/04/2020

Newsletter – week 3 10th April 2020

This week the press and web have been awash with views on working from home, the advantages and disadvantages, its effect on people, teams, collaborate work, business and mental health.

As I quoted last week, the Office for National Statistics says that 50% of employees will work entirely remotely next year, while 90% of staff state they would like to work remotely part time. As it’s here to stay for some time this new way of working may change the way we work forever!

We all have different opinions on this, for example Nick Ferrari refers to working from home as “shirking from home” and you can see why it’s an easy conclusion to leap to – 24/7 access to Netflix and snacks, you can pop out for a walk, or tidy up. But are there more pros than cons?

Pro’s

• You end up making a lot of cups of tea and raid the biscuit jar more than is normal!

• You don’t have to get up early to sort out your hair or put on your face or sit in traffic jams inching along to work, or crammed into a packed train with the stress of arriving late

• You can, instead, use your commuting time to feed the cat/dog/fish, exercise, brew the coffee, make breakfast, watch the news… The list goes on!

• Working remotely allows for more flexibility with children/pets/appointments/general life which is favoured amongst employees

• We don’t have to try and wiggle the air conditioning to suit the many different requests to turn it on off higher or lower. In our office you will regularly see the bizarre sight of someone in a scarf and jacket while another sits in a T shirt!

• The company benefits of having a remote workforce include lower rental costs and higher retention by offering flexibility. Companies have worked hard to maintain company culture realising it is a very important anchor in times of crisis. Weekly newsletters, team calls on Zoom and Teams have become essential, keeping everyone up to date and connected.

• The tech revolution means working from home is easier now that it has ever been. Companies can set up entire remote servers and IT support, meaning everyone can do their job just as well at home.

• We will emerge from isolation ready to work in a way that is more flexible and fit for 21st century living. The crisis has effectively dismantled our structure.

Cons

• As listed last week, we all miss our colleagues and more than we ever realised! Number one was office banter followed closely by having company around me, bouncing ideas off each other and the motivating office buzz, along with collaborating and learning from others and grown up conversation. The clear takeaway from this is office life makes us feel part of something, valued and understood. Yes, it’s work but it is also a place we have fun.

• It can be hard to switch off at the end of the day, and the days can merge into evenings meaning it’s hard to strike the work life balance

• Not having an ergonomic desk setup and be dangerous and cause injury – lots of people are saying they love working from their bed, but this cannot be a long-term option

• Managers can find it difficult to manage remotely and without training find it challenging to pitch the right balance with their teams.

There are many industries where home working is a brilliant option either on a full or part time basis. Based on the views out there many companies will be redrawing serious plans for this as they have seen how well it works for their industry.

In our business, we interact together through the day, discussing quick questions or more challenging queries. They can be reactive but often result in really good instant decisions. We share the good with shout outs and the bad with support. The business of the day flows because we talk, and this connection also means we can together change direction quickly if the needs of the business determine we should.

There is so much food for thought, it would be great to hear your views about how you see the world of work changing in your company.

Until next week wishing everyone a very happy and healthy Easter in this wonderful weather