Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has changed upside down. The organisations worldwide had to adapt to new working styles, i.e., working remotely, due to restrictions imposed by the government to curb the infection spread. It’s been almost two years since most employees have accepted remote working as the new normal. Nowadays, many people prefer working remotely mainly because it has several obvious benefits such as saving time on commuting, having a better work/life balance and better productivity.
But is remote working the same as working in the office and doing field jobs? All is not always rosy. Let’s know about the impact of remote working and its downside.
More meetings
Research suggests that before the pandemic, an average employee doing field jobs like sales and marketing attended about 60 meetings in a month. However, since the start of the pandemic, as organisations resorted to remote working, many employees have reported that they had more meetings than before.
The employees have also reported that scheduling a meeting while working remotely has become extremely difficult; it takes an average of eight emails to schedule an appointment.
Increased working hours
Several researchers have found that the people who work from remote locations are much more productive than their in-office peers. But the increased productivity was linked to longer working hours. According to a survey conducted by Owl Labs of Remote Work, employees who work remotely were 43% more likely to work for more than 40 hours per week than on-site workers or people involved in field jobs.
Worsening mental health
In a study conducted in April 2021, nearly 67% of the workers working remotely reported higher stress than in the pre-pandemic period. The anxiety was up for almost 55% of the workers, and 53% said that the increased workload because of remote working left them emotionally drained.
Other studies have reported higher incidences of substance abuse and domestic violence. Nearly 69% of the employees who participated in the survey said that working remotely has been the most stressful time of their career.
While the fear of COVID-19 infection has been a significant stress factor, plenty of evidence suggests that working remotely has been pivotal in making the employees feel lonely, causing boredom. Many employees reported that they were much happier earlier while doing field jobs as the remote working culture has blurred the lines between work and domestic life.
Difficulty in collaborations
According to some researchers, full-time employees who work from remote locations have a tougher time being creative than their in-office peers. Many employees confirmed that you cannot overlook the importance of the spontaneous ideas and networking that in-office and co-working culture facilitates.
Many employees have reported that remote working has made exchanging ideas and collaborative decision making much more challenging. It has cost them a lot in terms of losing the faith and trust of their co-workers.
Final Word
Remote working has plenty of benefits for both employers and employees. But it poses serious risks, which cannot be overlooked. If you decide to continue working remotely post-COVID-19, ensure that you take active measures like yoga, meditation etc., to reduce the stress and be at your productive best every day.
