Remote Work: Is it for you?

Remote work isn't a new idea—but its rise has been nothing short of revolutionary. Fueled by the global shift during the COVID-19 pandemic, companies across the world were forced to adapt overnight, embracing remote setups to keep operations running. And even as the world reopens, this shift has proven too valuable to be abandoned outright.

Today, many businesses have either kept their work-from-home arrangements for their employees or have leaned into hybrid arrangements, blending flexibility of working from home with the structure of the traditional office setup. But given the rising living costs and the worsening transportation issues facing many employees, unsurprisingly, many of them have preferred to fully work from home.

The question though is: would working from home be the right work arrangement for you?

Advantages of Remote Work

Remote work offers significant benefits for workers and even for companies that are encouraging work-from-home arrangements.

• Flexibility and Work-Life Balance - Many remote jobs also come with flexible schedules, which means that workers can start and end their day as they choose, as long as their work is complete and leads to strong outcomes. This has proven to be invaluable for many people as they are able to better attend to matters in their personal life with balance and flexibility.

• Reduced Transportation Stress - Transportation to and from the workplace has become a stressful chore not only for the money spent on the commute but the time spent on the road, which can take as long as two hours for some workers. Remote work not only does away with the commute, but also the mental and physical health issues commuting can bring about. The time saved can be spent on extra sleep in the morning, spending more time with family, getting in a workout, or eating a proper meal.

• Location Independence - Remote work provides better job opportunities beyond what is available within a person’s geographic location, which may not be that many to begin with. This also allows workers to work from anywhere in the world that is accessible and affordable to them while remaining productive. In some instances, working from another location can even help boost productivity.

• Inclusivity - Remote work enables companies to embrace diversity and inclusion by hiring people from different socioeconomic, geographic, and cultural backgrounds, something that can be challenging to accomplish when recruiting is restricted to a specific locale that not everyone wants, or can afford, to live near.

• Financial Savings - For people working remotely, they gain significant savings that would have been spent on transportation, food, and clothing, among others, allowing them to have more savings or spend it on essential items or needs. But such savings also extend to companies as well. According to Global Workplace Analytics, a company can save around $11,000 per year for every employee who works from home at least half of the time on operational costs and real estate.

• Positive Environmental Impact - Remote work can also reduce an individual’s carbon footprint by more than half. According to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), fully-remote workers can reduce their carbon footprint by up to 54%. This is achieved not only by no longer needing to commute regularly but also by making environmentally sound choices like using less paper and controlling when and how much lighting and air-conditioning is used.

• Increased Productivity and Performance - With remote workers being able to enjoy more time and money saved from commuting hassles, having better work-life balance, and less prone to office politics, their productivity increases significantly. When done right, remote work allows employees and companies to focus on performance much better than in the office environment.

Disadvantages of Remote Work

Despite the numerous benefits,, it is also important to take into account the disadvantages of remote work in order to be sure that remote work is the right work environment for one to be in.

• Lack of distinction between work and home life – While work and home life are and should be separate, remote work poses the threat of blurring this distinction. As such a remote worker may find themselves working longer hours without them realizing it because work is being done while doing the household chores.

• Decreased human interaction – Some workers thrive on personal connections that remote work cannot fully replicate, even in regular virtual meetings. They may also feel isolated, especially if they live alone in an enclosed space with limited interactions.

• Cultural Differences – Cultural differences can pose significant challenges in remote work environments, especially for globally distributed teams. Differences in communication styles, land workplace norms can lead to misunderstandings and building trust and strong working relationships becomes more difficult due to the lack of personal interaction.

• Negative health effects – The work-from-home setup can give rise to health issues since remote workers tend to do less physical activity such as moving around and walking while office-based workers do their commuting alone. There is also the lack of supervision that would have corrected improper health practices like poor posture.

• Cybersecurity concerns – Remote workers tend to use their own devices for their work, especially to access their organization’s files and programs. Oftentimes, the organization’s IT personnel are unable to vouch for the security of these devices since they are outside their purview within the workplace, leaving these personal devices vulnerable to cybercriminals who can use them as backdoor entrances to access and hack the organization’s network.

Commitment Towards a Positive Remote Work Environment

Given these challenges, it is up to the organization to employ the necessary measures to ensure that employees enjoy a positive work environment even in a remote work setup.

As a company that has achieved growth in recent years by embracing the remote work environment, Pandoblox has constantly sought ways to strike a balance in achieving productivity and advancing the welfare of its remote workers. Constant communication through various channels has been a priority to ensure that employees are not only kept up to date with the latest developments within the company but also that there is consistency in feedback and interaction within and between teams regarding projects and performance.

In addition, the company holds regular activities to build connection and camaraderie among colleagues even in a remote environment. Several of these activities are even in-person events that allow team members to meet, interact, and bond personally while strengthening their connection with the company.

Final Word

With all of this being said, not all individuals are suited for a remote work environment. Factors such as the nature of the work or specific attitudes or preferences can influence how one fits well being a remote worker. Hopefully, the pros and cons provided in this article and how Pandoblox is helping foster a holistic remote work environment that serves as a guide toward a productive career path.

And if you find the work from home arrangement to be your preferred work setup, you can check out our careers page and find the best remote work opportunities that you can be part of.