{"id":2919,"date":"2020-01-15T20:46:27","date_gmt":"2020-01-15T20:46:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/?p=2919"},"modified":"2021-09-19T16:09:12","modified_gmt":"2021-09-19T16:09:12","slug":"remote-working","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/remote-working\/","title":{"rendered":"Remote Working"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Interested in remote working? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps you’re an employee seeking greater freedom or a startup CEO hoping to incentivise employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Either way, ever since the emergence of the four-hour workweek, destination hopping from one exotic beach to another, mojito in hand, is like cultural pornography. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Combine that with passive income and you have the supposed holy grail of existence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But is working remotely all it’s cracked up to be, and if so, what are the caveats?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let’s take a look. But first, a quick look at my credentials…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’ve been working remotely now, on and off, for a few years, now as a digital marketer. If you’re reading this article, you’re likely a knowledge worker or aspire to be one. Firstly, let’s talk about the benefits of working remotely, of which there are certainly many. There have to be really, to have spawned such a cultural zeitgeist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Probably to biggest draw to remote working is, unsurprisingly, location independence:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Working remotely simply provides more autonomy and the flexibility to choose how and where you work. This is a big one with remote working. Time, the non-renewable resource that’s slipping away like a thief in the night. Oh, you slippery beast. As you save time in meetings to reinvest in meaningful action, you can naturally create more. When you’re remote, you tend to take increased ownership of your craft, sometimes, to a fault. One of the main benefits of working remotely must be the fact that we can create our immediate environment to be conducive for effective output. Similar to your environmental factors, you get to choose your equipment. As you can see there are many reasons to consider working remotely. While location independence is amazing in many respects, there are also downsides that remote working advocates gloss over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on your role, taking holidays in a remote role is tough, mainly because you feel more attached to your work.
I’ve had the opportunity to live in various places around the world<\/a> and experience the delight of foreign lands.
As with anything, there are both good and bad sides to the deal, so I’ll try to provide a balanced analysis, before presenting my final verdict.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWho’s this digital ramble for?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
After all, it’s almost impossible to work remotely in some traditional professions (although we are seeing the emergence of online doctors).
However, this article is more aimed at laptop monkeys like myself, where all that’s really required for work is an Internet connection and solitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBenefits of remote working <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Location independence <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
More autonomy <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You can generally tweak your schedule and hours to suit without the usual grind of a daily commute.
Rather than traipsing into a dreary office, you can select your most productive hours to get work done.
If you fancy a change of scenery, you can always head to a local coffee shop or different coworking space.
This autonomy is, according to Simon Sinek in Leaders Eat Last, one of the essential factors of employee wellbeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMore money <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Rather than living in a potentially expensive city and paying a prohibitive cost of living, you can choose somewhere cheaper and save on travel and rent.
That means more dinero at the end of the month.
It’s a great feeling when you realise how little you need in some parts of the world to live the good life. <\/p>\n\n\n\nMore time<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
By working remotely, you instantly reclaim a large portion of your life. This is perhaps one of the biggest advantages of this work setup.
No more boring commute shoved on a train with smelly people. You get to walk across the hallway to your study, or bicycle, Netherlands-style, to your local coffee shop.
If you need to take a little break in the day to run a personal errand, you can flash your remote working ID with a cheeky smile and make up your hours elsewhere.
You also save significant time in pointless meetings – as Jeff Bezos says, most meetings are wasted time.
As a remote worker, you’re more action-orientated, distilling instructions and eeking out efficiency wherever you can. <\/p>\n\n\n\nIncreased output <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Where water cooler gossip is interesting, being out of the office and away from the drama allows you to pick a project and get to work.
You’re somewhat removed from office politics and work more objectively on your tasks.
There’s generally less infighting when you’re remote, or if there is, you’re not there to see it.
Instead, you bask in your remote bubble of joy, like a silent disco, rocking out to the track of deep focussed work. Oh yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIncreased quality of work<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps because you don’t have the instant feedback you receive in an office, you tend to overcompensate and put your all into each project.
The result? Excellent work that pleases your overlords.
It’s rather similar to the notable study in which a professor stopped giving grades to his class and they started producing better work (out of sheer panic!)<\/p>\n\n\n\nBetter Environment<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Do you work perfectly with a particular ambient temperature? Like to organise your pencils and colour coordinate your post-it notes? Fed up of people stealing your food from the communal fridge?
You can play music all you want and you don’t have employees chewing gum or cutting their fingernails next to you.
This means you’re free to express yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\nPreferred equipment\/setup<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This might not be a huge departure from the office, but working remotely, you may be offered a budget to invest in your preferred tools – dual monitors I hear ye cry?!
You can retrofit your home office with all the bling you want and organise it just so.
A sophisticated leather-bound chair? Go on then. Walnut desk with leather writing top? Yes please.
As long as you work for yourself or persuade your superiors, that is.
Either way, entering an office which is already set up doesn’t provide nearly as much flexibility as your bespoke home setup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Obviously, the benefits will vary depending on whether you’re a freelancer or permanent company employee.
This too, might require some experimentation, as there are benefits and drawbacks to both.
Let’s take a look.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDrawbacks to the deal<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Holidays <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Part of this involves the feeling that because you’re not working on-site, your colleagues are more productive<\/a> (spoiler: they’re not!), or curry more favour with the company.
Indeed, there’s some research stating that remote workers take 30% less holiday than their office-bound colleagues.
It’s vital, therefore, when working from home, to book holidays in ahead of time and claim your full quota.
Such decompression and escape from work is essential for sustainable health and wellness.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSeparation <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n