Prior to the pandemic, working remotely was done almost always in case of emergency. Now, nearly 27.6 million employees work remotely and are regularly conducting business from home. Deciding whether or not that’s for you? Take a look at some pros and cons of working remotely.
Internet Accessibility
Naturally, having a strong internet connection is essential if you want to work from home. Whether you’re a contractor, writer, or instructor, you’ll need the internet to stay in touch with your clients and coworkers, do research, and upload any documents to the cloud for storage. While most of America does not have to worry about this, 22.5% of all US households have no internet at all, and even more have flimsy or unreliable connections. Even if most of your work is done offline, you may still have to consider going into the office for connections.
Flexibility
Is a long drive to work taking up too much of your time? Assuming you have the internet and storage space, rolling out of bed and starting your day is incredibly appealing for most employees. That way, you can actually work a nine to five—without the stress of rush hour. Besides the relief from a long commute, working from home also allows you to check on your kids, home, and pets without taking time off. You can even do more work on your own time. Maybe you’re a night owl who wants to make instructional videos to store online on the cloud for when your students need them the next day. That way, you’ll have the freedom to make the best content you can at the time that works for you.
Additionally, it is more important than ever to stay home when you’re sick, but this way, you can still finish all that you need to do while recovering.
Productivity
Okay, maybe you read that last section and thought, “How am I going to work remotely in pajamas with the kids running around and the sniffles?” For some people, that is an incredibly valid concern. But for others, it isn’t a problem at all. In fact, studies have shown that productivity actually increases when working from home. You will have space to yourself to destress, and the ability to actually get a good night’s sleep. Others, though, miss the connection that comes from talking to others at the office, or the feeling of actually being “off” when they come home. After all, at home you’ll always have access to work files and storage, for better or worse. So while productivity may increase remotely, it also may lead to burnout or loneliness.
All you have to do is decide if the trade-offs are worth it. Maybe you hate your commute but love spending time with your coworkers. Or you’re dying to get more sleep, but your internet connection isn’t up to par. Luckily, many offices allow for a hybrid model where you work from home a couple of days a week and then go in for the rest. This could help you decide where you belong. Ready to begin working remotely? Check out our article, “3 Essential Tech Tools for Remote Workers” to get started! Use Bigg.ly for all your file transfers.
And don’t forget, you can use Blomp for all of your cloud storage needs