Work life is constantly changing. Gone are the days when we had to be at our desk all day long, every day. The world has become a more connected place and people are looking for ways to work from anywhere. Even more now, while this pandemic is still ongoing, people prefer the safety of their houses instead of risking every day, while trying to work. Yet, even if it is an important reason to work remotely, it’s not the most attractive one to the vast majority of people.
According to a Forbes survey, the amount of people working remotely has seen an increase of more than 200% through the last 2 years. It is also estimated that approximately 70% of the global workforce will be working remotely by 2025 for at least 5 days per month. As most people, if you are also considering making the move to remote work, you may be wondering what is the difference between working remotely and working in the office? Let’s take a closer look!
What are the differences?
There are a lot of people who dislike the idea of having to physically be in an office to do their job. The idea of remote work sounds just perfect to them. However, others enjoy having a regular schedule and being able to interact with their colleagues in person. But what do both of them really stand for?
- The term “office work” refers to the actual location of employees. In the broadest sense, a company’s employees commute from their homes to the workplace, share a physical space, and interact face-to-face. While working at the office, you may be assigned to your own unique workspace, or having to share one with other co-workers. It usually means you will have direct content and monitoring by your employer or face-to-face interactions with your clients.
- Employees that operate remotely do not share a physical workspace. Instead of working together in person, they collaborate online utilizing digital technologies. Working remotely can be divided in two categories: working from home and working from anywhere.
- Working from home means you have to work from the place that you live. It can be by laying on your bed or from a specific area in the house, adjusted as a home office.
- Working from anywhere means you have the ability to work from any place you may desire to work from. It can be a local coffee shop, a public library or your friend’s house. Sometimes you even have the opportunity to work even from another country, having the advantage of combining work and traveling.
Companies frequently have quite different remote work rules. For instance, some businesses permit remote work yet demand that team members reside in particular areas, such as specified towns or areas close to the business’s foundation. To better coordinate team members and foster cross-time zone communication, some remote workers may be expected to be online during specific times of the day.
Pros and cons of Office Work:
PROS
- Potential networking possibilities: Collaboration fosters creativity. When people work together as a team, the results are likely better. This has been challenging to match through virtual meetings, and occasionally impossible. People’s capacity to form meaningful connections that lead to invention is restored by working in an office.
- Business culture: It takes a lot of work to create the company culture, and its loss might stifle everything from innovation and progress to economic success.
CONS
- Exposed to viruses: As it is one of the reasons the remote working community has seen a huge increase through the last pandemic, none can argue that working from the office can put you in great danger because of the pandemic we are going through.
- The commuting problem: Having to move to go to work is a great deal for some people. No matter if it is with a car, train or a bus, commuting can be a great waste of time. It is estimated that an average of 52,5 minutes per day is needed for commuting, which can be considered a great loss recognizing that people have to spend an average of approximately 5 hours per week commuting.
- Lack of flexibility: When working from the office, you are needed to follow any timetables that may be given. Even if it is the lunch break or the pacing of work, it can be pretty disturbing and unproductive from person to person.
Pros and cons of Remote Work:
PROS
- Saving money: Expenses for food and transportation can benefit from remote working arrangements. The cost of eating out vs cooking for oneself is notable as well as the cost for gasoline and car maintenance or bus-train tickets and can build up over time.
- No commute: Another great benefit which is no commuting is way too important for some people and give them back 1-3, wasted on commuting every day. This time can be used instead in spending more time with family or participating in activities that enhance mental health and wellness.
- Flexibility: While working from the office would require you to stay on pre scheduled plans regarding any upcoming meetings or project arrangements, remote working usually allows you to have some autonomy on how and when you do things. As a result you may regain some control over how your day is planned, giving you more freedom.
CONS
- Lack of home-work line: There are occasions where the line between work and home time cannot be distinguished. This can end up with the person not being able to be kept in program , ending up either overworking or working less than needed, which both can be detrimental.
- Lack of contact: Working from home doesn’t allow you to have more direct contact with your co-workers. This fact can be a probleming when it comes to team communication. Also, this lack of socializing at work can lead to a feeling of isolation and loneliness when it’s the main source of social interaction the individual has.
After reviewing all data available, we can see that both sides have their advantages and disadvantages. However, remote working has the scale leaning towards it when we have to make the comparison. Even if it is still in its early stage, the advantages it offers can be of great improvement to many aspects of life and work experience for both workers and employers .In addition to that, it still has a lot of space to improve, which means greater benefits.
If you have already considered all the advantages and disadvantages for both cases and you believe you can handle working a remote job, we are here to provide our knowledge and support. We know how hard it is to try to find an online job, even more with all these scams and fake job listings going around. But with our experience, we guarantee we will get you a remote job, totally legit and connected to companies with great reputation, so you can explore the benefits of working remotely by yourself. Grab the chance and APPLY NOW!
Vaggelis Moutsios
Vaggelis Moutsios is a newly inspired author and a book lover since a young age. Born in Agrinio, Greece, graduate in Physical Education and Sport Science at Democritus University of Thrace, he decided to make a turn to his professional career. Remote work and the freedom it provides earned him. Following his passion for writing combined with his 6 years experience in the WFH market, he dedicated himself into introducing this world to more and more people.
