Working remotely has become a hot topic in recent years – especially since the pandemic. Many companies offer it in some form, and many people are intrigued by the option. While not everyone has access to this option, if you have a choice to work remotely, here are some pros and cons to working from somewhere other than the company office.
Pros
There are a variety of potential benefits to working remotely. For some people, working remotely is the ideal way to work. While what is a benefit for one person may be a negative for another, here are some potential advantages:
Location Flexibility
Being able to work remotely offers extreme flexibility when it comes to location. If you can work from wherever you want, it gives you tremendous control over where you live. In more traditional work-from-the-office situations, you will need to live within commuting distance of your company office. For some people, this may work just fine. But, what if your company is located in a cold weather state and you happen to want to live somewhere that is warm year-round? Traditionally, this meant you either looked for a job in the place you want to live or just suck it up and live in a place you don’t love because that’s where your job was.
Working remotely provides the ultimate freedom to choose where you want to live, without sacrificing your career.
Convenience
Raise your hand if you love the daily commute to an office? The average worker in the U.S. commutes 55 minutes a day to and from their job. What would you do if you to an extra hour back into your schedule every workday? You could be more productive at work or get more done in your home life. Either way, it’s a win. If your remote work location happens to be your home, you also save time by being able to handle simple household chores during your work day. Running a load of laundry when you decide to take a breather from work is a great way to give you more time for fun things on your evenings and weekends. And, this doesn’t infringe on your work schedule either. Some remote jobs give you even more control over your schedule, letting you work where and WHEN you want, as long as you’re getting your work done.
Savings
Take away that daily commute and you’ll save money on gas or public transportation costs. You also save on the wear and tear on your vehicle. If you worked in an office with a dress code, you will also save money on your clothes, since the dress code for your home office is probably a lot more casual.
Cons
Working remotely is not without its drawbacks. Some of the potential disadvantages include:
Isolation
While the ability to work from home sounds like a dream come true, it can also be isolating. You may like seeing your coworkers in person, stopping by someone’s desk to chat, going out to lunch, etc. When you work remotely, you only see your coworkers’ faces on Zoom or Slack calls. So, it’s not uncommon to feel isolated when working remotely.
Struggling to Detach From Work
When you work remotely (specifically from home), it’s easy to become a workaholic. As much as you’d like to think that you are in control of your time and schedules, the truth is that you’ll often find yourself working more than might be necessary. When your office and your living room are right next to each other, it can be challenging to create an effective balance and no when to switch gears from work to home. Similarly, some remote workers struggle to stay on task, because the distractions of home life are literally in the next room – or possibly sitting next to you on the couch.
Conclusion
The pros and cons of remote work are a personal choice. For some, it offers more freedom and flexibility. But for others, working remotely can lead to isolation and loneliness.
