{"id":30097,"date":"2020-03-31T11:20:03","date_gmt":"2020-03-31T09:20:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpkraken.io\/?p=30097"},"modified":"2020-03-31T11:20:03","modified_gmt":"2020-03-31T09:20:03","slug":"are-we-ready-for-remote-work-2-0","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpkraken.io\/blog\/are-we-ready-for-remote-work-2-0\/","title":{"rendered":"Are We Ready For Remote Work 2.0?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Remote work is not a new concept. Nearly 5 million U.S. employees work from home at least half a week.<\/a> Owl Labs\u2019 State of Remote Work for 2019<\/a> report claims that 62% of the American workforce is familiar with this concept and works remotely at least occasionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right now, though, remote work seems to take over the entire world. It\u2019s a social\/work experiment that no company would ever undertake in normal circumstances. Before COVID-19, remote work was a matter of choice or consent. Now, in most cases, it\u2019s the only reasonable option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, you\u2019ve probably seen tons of headlines saying that remote work is not for everyone. <\/strong>That it\u2019s hard to maintain the work-life balance while working from the comfort of your home. Remote workers struggle with loneliness and have communication issues. Well, for the first time in history, we\u2019re going to see if it checks out on such a big scale.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s unclear when we\u2019ll be able to get back to normal (maybe we never will), but one is certain: when it happens, nothing will be the same. Including the way we work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Remote Work The Big Bad Wolf Of Employment?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s been two weeks since COVID-19 has hit Poland big time. Numerous employers all over the world have switched to remote work even before that. I realize that times are different, and we\u2019re basically stuck at our homes, but\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Somehow, it all still works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"With<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Before COVID-19, I knew plenty of employers who assumed that the entire home office concept is simply undoable. They didn\u2019t trust their teams would still get the job done or thought their types of business can\u2019t be run from anywhere but the office. Or that their employees don\u2019t have the right equipment at their homes. Some were concerned about the data breach. Others thought they couldn\u2019t function if their teams aren\u2019t right there in the next room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of my close ones (and myself) have experienced this. A part of them has adopted this approach and still thinks that you can maybe do 10% of your job remotely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right now, nearly all of these people have switched to the home office and, as far as I know, everything is fine. Again, I\u2019m not saying this situation is normal. But it may be eye-opening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remote Work Gives Your Precious Time Back<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When I first heard that MPC is switching to the home office, I wasn\u2019t happy. I never planned for my home to become a workspace. I\u2019m a firm believer that home is for being home-y, and the office is for being office-y. Needless to say, I had no choice but to accept this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two weeks ago, my inner clock woke me up around the time I usually set my alarm to on days when I work from the office. I jumped out of bed before my brain got time to think about whether it wants more sleep or not. I brushed my teeth, set up my morning coffee, and proceeded with the rest of my morning routine as if auto-piloted. It all worked fine until I sat down to do my makeup and realized I don\u2019t need to put it on. I don\u2019t need to do a bunch of other things either, and my commute time has now been reduced to, like, 10 seconds tops if I happen to be at the other end of my flat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suddenly, I had all the time to spare in the morning. If I were a jogger, I\u2019d probably go for a run or something. Instead, I\u2019ve started reading a couple of pages of a book before getting out of bed. The day seemed so much brighter thanks to that. Would I be able to do the same on a regular going-to-the-office day? Probably, if I woke up earlier. But then I\u2019d be too sleepy to actually read anything, so…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Remote<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m lucky to live quite close to the office, but plenty of my colleagues face a much longer commute. For some of them, getting to and from work eats up two or even three hours every day. Where I feel a small difference, they see the world-changing one. And when I cringe a tiny bit thinking about coming back to the office, they probably weep over all the hours they\u2019ll lose again. Studies show<\/a> that even if you work from home half the time, you save a total of 11 days a year by cutting the commute time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With so much time given back to us, remote workers do wonders. Some may enjoy coffee in bed; some may go for a jog (again, not me); others may finally have the time to tackle some projects they\u2019ve been putting away for weeks (I\u2019m looking at you, my filthy fridge). But it\u2019s not only their free time habits that change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of reducing the commute, The Ford European Commuter Survey<\/a> found out that commuters in Europe\u2019s major cities are more stressed because of their commute than their actual work. Telecommuters find their stress levels lower than in-house teams<\/a> and believe that remote work improves general health by allowing for more exercise, a better diet, and a healthier lifestyle in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flexible Hours: A Chance For All<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Call it what you want, but being at an office makes us behave differently than working remotely. And I\u2019m not thinking about the unspoken rule of being showered and wearing anything but your P.J.s (although that\u2019s a good point too). It\u2019s rather how we organize our workday when we\u2019re at the office. We do our best to at least seem busy<\/a> for the eight hours, even if we actually struggle to get something done. Don\u2019t feel judged – everyone has bad days. Jobs that leverage creativity are particularly at risk here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Petting<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While staying at home, we tend to be more flexible with our schedule. In fact, 40% of the American workforce admits<\/a> that it\u2019s #1 reason they like the home office model. Feeling that post-lunch slump and the bed is literally right there? Go ahead, have a nap, wake up refreshed,<\/a> and catch up on your tasks an hour later. Found a terrific daytime T.V. show you\u2019d hate to miss? Watch it. You\u2019ll probably feel less guilty than if you did the same at the office. You wouldn\u2019t scroll your Facebook feed for two hours straight while your colleagues watch, would you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This situation is also a chance for those of you who find it hard to wake up in the morning. The flexibility of remote work means you can work when your brain is actually alive. And for all the parents – it\u2019s arguably the best solution for those who need to look after the kids until your partner gets home (virtually or literally). After that second shift gets in, you can catch up on your work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Busting The Myth Of Lounging Around<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While at that: don\u2019t you feel like you\u2019re actually doing your job faster<\/a>? Sure thing, the home office can be distracting (laundry to fold, lunch to cook, teeny-tiny spot to clean asap\u2026 you name it), but don\u2019t tell me an actual office isn\u2019t at least equally messy. If it weren\u2019t, we wouldn\u2019t see so many people wearing headphones and trying to block out the distractions of a shared environment. It\u2019s way easier to separate yourself from people\u2019 just saying hi\u2019 or \u2018just popping in to ask\u2019 at home. Overall office noise is annoying to 60% of employees<\/a>. And, even though it sounds super lonely, there\u2019s hardly anyone you can go and have a coffee with. Even my husband, a hardcore office lover, admits that he\u2019d do his job three times faster if it weren\u2019t for his chatty colleagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tackling concept work, complicated projects, and creative challenges are definitely more manageable when there are not a hundred people around you. Atlassian proves<\/a> that 76% of employees would prefer to avoid the office when in need of deep focus. 77% say they\u2019re more productive when working from home.<\/a> Could it be that the concept of \u2018brainstorming alone\u2019 is the future? Will we see a difference in how we perceive specific workspaces?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Will<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not saying you should put headphones on and not talk to anyone until you\u2019re done with your workday. That\u2019d be crazy (and definitely not healthy for anyone). But I genuinely believe we function at different capacities while working remotely. When a reminder announces it\u2019s time for our daily team call, I can\u2019t wait for that dose of off-topic, goofiness, and dad jokes. But if I sit down at my desk in the morning and know precisely when it\u2019s time to blow off some steam, I can schedule my workday much better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Now we\u2019ll see how many of these meetings could really have been emails\u201d, someone said the day most businesses switched to the office. While no data is proving that telecommuters take part in fewer meetings than in-house employees, one is certain: the current situation has decreased the number of impromptu sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will We Ever Look At Our Office The Same Way?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With all that in mind, I honestly don\u2019t think we\u2019ll be the same employees when we get back to our offices. The first few days will undoubtedly be refreshing and exciting, but then, some \u2018nostalgia\u2019 may kick in. Knowing how we functioned back home and how it affected our productivity, we may not be as eager to visit the office every day as we used to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Owl Labs report states that, in general, people feel happier and more trusted if able to work remotely. A vast majority also agrees that this model would help them manage their work-life conflict. They also feel less stressed, can spend more time with their close ones (have you heard that long commutes can increase the chance of a divorce<\/a>?! Mind-blowing!) and are less likely to part ways with their employers. I find it very hard to imagine we\u2019ll all throw these benefits away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The new reality will be a challenge for business owners and managers as well. During the quarantine, they worked with different tools and learned to expect certain behaviors and results. For some of them, this might have been a positive surprise. They may have discovered that remote work is actually highly collaborative, increases communication, promotes employee engagement, and lights a way to more effective reporting<\/strong>. Maybe they\u2019ve decided it\u2019s not nearly as bad as they thought it\u2019d be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019ve learned how to leverage the latest technologies or perhaps found out that the ones used at the offices work perfectly fine for telecommuting as well. After all, big companies with multiple departments and huge office spaces have probably used Slack, Skype, Microsoft Teams, or other communication apps way before the quarantine. Whether we\u2019re five meters or fifty kilometers away from each other, we\u2019ll most likely use the same techniques to share files and stay in touch. At MPC, we\u2019d practiced remote work before, so this experience wasn\u2019t as groundbreaking as it is for other companies. Still, I think we\u2019ve learned a lot already.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are We Ready For The New Face of Remote Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, do you think the world is ready for the new face of the home office? Will it become a requirement rather than an incentive? Will the managers feel the pressure of their teams to allow for more remote work? Or perhaps will they decide it\u2019s worthwhile themselves?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COVID-19 has already changed the world in many ways. If it turns the job market as well, we\u2019re in for more than it looks like. So, will more co-working spaces open up in the near future? Will more offices go through radical changes to meet their teams\u2019 new expectations? Will little local cafes get more traffic (we know they need it badly!) from more telecommuters? Or, let\u2019s step away to see the even bigger picture here: will more people move away from city centers because they\u2019ll be able to spend more time working remotely? Will the offices reduce their square space? Will financing the home Internet by employers become an actual thing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I honestly can\u2019t wait to see how this all works out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P.S. I could calculate the average time I spend writing an article like this one at the office and then compare it to doing the same at home. But that wouldn\u2019t be productive, now, would it? Anyways, I don\u2019t need hard data to tell you that I wrote this one (and a few others) faster than I would ever do it at my office desk!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Co-author: Weronika Sza\u0142kowska<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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