Perhaps the remote work trend is more a pandemic-driven rather than paradigm shift in the end, and now that people have become comfortable in remote work, they realize it’s not as important as they once felt. When asked to choose from 1 to 5 the personal importance of remote or hybrid work, 42% picked 4 or 5, whereas 22.4% picked 1 – in other words, “not at all”. What impressed us is that respondents don’t consider remote work as important to them as flexible schedules – not that it isn’t important; it’s just not as strongly indicated. So, can people work remotely, regardless of whether they want to or whether they’re actually able to? We asked respondents to rate their response on a scale of 1 (“not at all”) to 5 (“completely”).
By adopting remote-friendly policies, you can empower employees to perform work whenever it’s best for their schedule and preferences. The benefits of asynchronous work have also helped us prioritize self-care and mental health. We have been able to spend more time outdoors, get more exercise, find time to relax, and eat a healthier diet, thanks to more flexibility for meal planning. We have saved money and gained at least 2 hours each day by removing lengthy round-trip commutes. We have been far more productive and have attended more online professional development than we could have in person.
Fitness challenges: the key to keep moving
But a handful of organizations are effectively using research insights to build evidence-based remote work programs—and reaping the rewards. Health-care company Aetna, for example, has a decade-old remote work program that screens, trains and supports teleworkers—a group that now makes up around half of the company’s workforce. The company has collaborated with psychologists at Cornell University, including Bell, to proactively address issues such as employee isolation, and has seen rewards including reduced real estate costs and better talent retention. The permanent switch to hybrid working will undoubtedly have both a positive and negative impact on both managers and employees.
A study conducted in 2018 by the Royal Free Hospital in London showed that a month off alcohol results in lower blood pressure and cholesterol and reduces diabetes risks as well. The site gives a list of tips, articles and even a free app to keep people motivated. According to the charity, almost 9 million people in the UK were considering taking it up in 2024.
You Can Create the Perfect Workstation
And with the rise of high-speed internet and mobile devices, it’s easier than ever for employees to stay connected and productive from anywhere in the world. If you want easy recruiting from a global pool of skilled candidates, we’re here to help. Our graduates are highly skilled, motivated, and prepared for impactful careers in tech. Our career-change programs are designed to take you from how companies benefit when employees work remotely beginner to pro in your tech career—with personalized support every step of the way. For some, however, working remotely during the pandemic has been enough of a positive gamechanger to supersede the downsides. The negative effects have come as a surprise for some employees, who are now feeling the crush, realising remote work isn’t necessarily the wellness panacea it has been touted as.
So, if you’re feeling stuck in your current job or looking for a new challenge, now is the time to consider a career move. The future of work, post-Covid 19, is likely to be even more remote-friendly, with more companies offering flexible working arrangements and employees valuing the freedom of working remotely. The first and most obvious benefit of working remotely is that it gives you the opportunity to create a better work-life balance. If you’re currently looking for flexible work in the tech space, you’re in luck. There are plenty of great remote work opportunities out there, even for people without much work experience. Another benefit of remote work is that it can increase employee productivity.
Effective remote working: advice for employees
Remote work is consistently touted as the best way for workers to feel mentally and physically well. Join our community of around 1,100 colleagues in shaping a more accessible, inclusive, and brighter future for all. Stand out, Progressive, Accessible, Resourceful, Kindness, reflect who we are as an institution, a team and as individuals.
From fast Wi-Fi connections to cloud computing and project management software, team members can communicate and collaborate instantaneously. By keeping all files, communication, and approvals in a single accessible place, companies can eliminate time lost sifting through email chains or going back and forth discussing the state of the project face-to-face. While the survey respondents are different this time – the employable population rather than employers themselves – the data still shows a shift back to some kind of normalcy in the UK, pandemic spikes notwithstanding. Positive moods foster greater creativity compared with negative moods, even if induced experimentally (Xiao et al., 2015). CareerFoundry is an online school for people looking to switch to a rewarding career in tech.
You must be logged in to post a comment.