Assignment 2

Working remotely is a working style that permits professionals to perform working duties while outside the physical working environment or a traditional office environment. The Remote work is based on the concept that job tasks do not have to be executed successfully in an office, preferably, they can be performed anywhere based on the employees’ conveniences. Instead of employees working from a designated desk, they are allowed to work remotely to execute projects as well as surpass their goals whenever they need to. (French, 2011)

By encouraging working remotely, organizations can boost their overall productivity as well as job satisfaction within the employees. One can be so productive when working under their roof especially if they avoid distractions; they become happier and less stressful. On the contrary, working remotely is linked to various challenges including great disturbances, lack of team building and difficulties when it comes to differentiating between office and personal work (Kelly, 2017). It is essential to address the challenges associated with remote working through the creation of a friendly working environment in the home place, creating a defined schedule for professional and personal work as well as continuously engaging employees in conversations.

Benefits of Working Remotely

Working remotely is the new norm given by the fact that a particular geographical region does not limit employees because they can access a variety of companies. Due to this, organizations need to get on broad and consider remote working as an evolution capable of bringing significant benefits to the business process. Being able to obtain a steady job that offers excellent benefits and pay enough lowers not only stress but also provide tremendous flexibility. Remote workers are less stressed as they feel empowered to work in a manner that suits their desires and that of the business, hence likely to be more productive. However, this is not usually the case as some of the remote workers may have to work more intensely, for long hours and struggle to achieve a work-life balance. Though this is possible, it only requires them to manage their time appropriately.

Remote working means a lot to both the employer and employees. An organization utilizing the capabilities of working remotely means that fewer funds will be spent on office space and encourages access to a pool of talent who are not limited by geographical location. Employees also save a significant amount when working from home. Employees significantly save money that they would have spent on food while outside their home places. When working at home, it is possible to save money that would have been spent on buying coffee. Also, they can keep on the commute time and money (White, 2015). In the long run, the amount spent on commuting whether public or private is significant. Even if one does not consume anything to report to work, the time spent could have been used to perform a vital job task.

Employees who work from home are often happy and tend to reduce absenteeism and sick days hence increasing their health. The remote workers have an easy time planning a work-life balance and get easier time eating healthy. Working remotely provides a flexible environment that makes the remote workers come up with a suitable arrangement that necessitates them to set professional and personal goals, hence become happy. Happy employees are always productive thus a plus to the organization (Salmon, 2018).

Challenges of working remotely

One of the difficulties associated with working remotely is lack of team bonding. Most of the organizations rely upon the capabilities provided by the working environment that fosters collaboration amongst colleagues. These are not achievable when an organization relies on the abilities to work remotely. Some bonding is only achieved when employees work in an office next to their teammates (Monica Tye Biebrich, 2016). It is challenging for employees to know their colleagues on a personal level when working on a distributed team or remotely.

Working remotely is characterized by huge distractions as it can be tempting to watch a movie or read a book during the time of working as there is nobody to monitor. There is nobody to tell or advise the remote worker what he/ she should do or not do during working hours. These often require a very motivated and self- directed worker who is capable of managing their time appropriately (Ben, 2015). More importantly, people with family and are staying at home can find it tricky to prevent one from focusing solely on working. Urgent chores and continuous interruptions may prevent one from attaining their productive level as they would like. Besides, it is hard for one to find a quiet place to take calls and have meetings.

Employees who work remotely have no rigid schedule and may end up working from dusk to dawn and be unable to manage their time. Disconnecting from work time may be tough and when one opts to may lead to burnout. Failing to set work hours and alarms, setting work boundaries, logging off during lunch hours and lacking multiple devices for work and personal use are some of the factors that would lead to this challenge.

Tackling the challenges

One of the main ways of addressing problems attributed to working remotely is to ensure that the employees are always engaged in conversations. To do so, employers may consider talking about issues not directly associated with the coworkers’ code of conduct to encourage a rapport between the coworkers (Monica Tye Biebrich, 2016). Realizing the shared interests of the coworkers may take some time, but it is critical for employers to note them and often crack jokes to break the ice. More importantly, employers should regularly meet remote workers. These will ensure that the employers know them personally, an aspect that will build cohesiveness.

Remote workers should consider creating a friendly working environment that recognizes a healthy diet, healthful workplace and workplace organization free of distraction. Scientifically proven, a healthy diet affects the physical condition of an individual, and it is vital for anyone to take care of nutrition. The workers working remotely should consider food that improves their brain functions, that lets them stay focused and one that delivers vitamins. To stimulate their motivation, remote workers should organize their work correctly (Monica Tye Biebrich, 2016). To save time on workplace organization, they may consider actionable tips or advice from experts. Besides, setting a conducive workspace and working hours will help in reducing the potential distractions.

A precise schedule that separates professional and personal work is critical as it will ensure that the remote workers manage their time appropriately. Remote workers should be in a position to separate work time from own time by for instance setting work hours and alarms. They should consider having different devices for the respective individual and professional works to avoid distractions (McGrath, 2010).

Conclusion

Organizations that encourage remote working are likely to boost the worker’ satisfaction and eventually lead to increased productivity. Though this form of working technique is associated with some challenges, the challenges can be faced proactively and lead to a healthy working culture capable of increasing productivity. Working remotely is indeed less stressful, cost-effective and makes employees happier unlike if they were working at an office. A positive working environment is essential to both the employers and employees and entrepreneurs are likely to adapt to this technique to craft a working condition that keeps the colleagues motivated.

References

Ben, S. (2015). Changing Employee Behavior: A Practical Guide for Managers. New York: Springer Shop.

French, R. (2011). Organizational Behavior. Hoboken: Wiley.

Kelly, M. (2017). Increasing Productivity While Working Remotely. Editorial Office News, 10(2), 5-6. doi:10.18243/eon/2017.10.2.2

McGrath, A. (2010). Working Remotely. IT NOW, 52(6), 25-25. doi:10.1093/itnow/bwq216

Monica Tye Biebrich. (2016, September 23). 5 Challenges of Working Remotely & Ways to Tackle them. Retrieved from https://medium.com/softwaredevtools/5-challenges-of-working-remotely-ways-to-tackle-them-ad712641c047

Salmon, M. (2018, April 4). Working from home can save you thousands of dollars every year. Retrieved from https://qz.com/work/1244075/work-from-home-jobs-can-save-you-thousands-of-dollars-every-year/