Will Remote Work Replace Office Workspace After COVID-19?

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by Kathy Tonery

As COVID-19 wreaks havoc globally, most people have had the option of remote working from home for their employers. By the start of April 2020, about 35% of United States employees started working from home. At the time it was a temporary situation; all you needed was an internet connection, and a laptop or smartphone.

For companies, it has become more desirable to keep the wheels in motion; by having employees remotely working from home, because it also mitigated the virus’s spread.

Businesses Can Benefit From Employees Remote Working At Home…

Technology: When it was apparent that the Coronavirus was not going away, small business owners invested in the newest technology by installing new digital tools. The Zoom Application Software has become very high in demand; due to business meetings and conferences with employees.

Other technologies that are used are monitoring software that will track the time you punch in and out on the computer, counting your keystrokes, and other measures to make sure that employees are using their time efficiently.

Financial: Companies that invested in the latest remote working technology are in it for the long run, because there are some favorable economic benefits.

According to a survey by software maker Atlas VPN, “monitoring a single employee who is working remotely costs only about $7.00 a month, and having an employee work from home half the time can save an employer $11,000 a year in increased productivity”.

Not All Companies Prefer Their Employees Working From Home, But Many Are Willing To Take The Risk…

The Shift In Mentality: Most managers were skeptical in the beginning, because they thought remote working was not going to be effective. After seeing the results of other companies, managers have embraced the idea, and now most businesses have shifted their workplace mentality.

After the coronavirus pandemic; working from home will be a part of our lives, because it has proved that it can be productive in many ways.

The Work/Life Balance: Working from home for months has given employees the flexibility of spending time with family while attaining their objectives or goals for their company. It is easier to encourage employees to work from home to utilize the available digital technology, and spend time with their loved ones. Ultimately getting the best of both worlds.

Challenges That Arise With Employers For The “New” Remote Workforce…

Structure: Every company or business has its own structure for the office place, however working from home can be stressful at times, if a company does not have a clear guideline about what needs to be done.

Having a Zoom meeting can be effective about discussions or goals, but managers have to restructure the workplace. Stricter guidelines must be put in place, so that everyone is on the same page.

Miscommunication Is A Problem In The Office Workplace, And Also With Working From Home…

Isolation: Physical contact is a human necessity; even in the office. Working at home without the camaraderie of co-workers can be debilitating. No more one-on-one meetings, no power lunches, and no chit-chat at the water-cooler.

Believe it or not, those things are important to some employees; as the teamwork will be watered down. Some workers may feel isolated, and not motivated enough to get their job done on time while working at home.

Trust: This is an unspoken pact between an employee and their manager. Can a supervisor trust that the worker will be using his time efficiently, get their work done, and not be a slacker?

Most companies are not used to employees remote working, and have very restricted guidelines. They will more or less “micro-manage” remote workers which can cause more stress; ending in a feeling of resentfulness. No one likes to be overly managed, and that is often compared to being “treated like a child”.

Starting A New Chapter For Remote Working…

Many workers have been laid off, and were not given an option to work from home; which created the huge spike in unemployment. This is an ongoing issue as many retailers, and offices, have shutdown.

It’s time to be creative, and decide that you may want to assert your skills into unchartered territory; by becoming an entrepreneur and working for yourself.

It is a new world out there, and no one is sure what will happen in the future. The focus should not be on shying away from opportunities that we have never done by you before, but to embrace them and be willing to try something new.

Good Luck With Your Job Search!

Kathy Tonery publishes a community-based blog (https://www.myrtlebeachtransplants.com) about what’s going on in the Myrtle Beach, SC area. It focuses on new businesses, and helping others by getting involved in community projects for needy people, and homeless pets. She also writes about unique destinations, and new job opportunities.