Working from home and remote working are the current work trends. Especially in the present scenario, a remote work policy has helped the companies to resume their projects without much difficulty. These two terms are often considered the same, but there are considerable differences between the two. Here is a detailed description of remote work and working from home their pros and cons and also their differences.
Remote Work: Working from Anywhere in the World
As the name suggests, remote work means working from anywhere in the world. It may not necessarily be the employee’s home; it can be any shared workspace or any cafe. Remote work has its perks and disadvantages, too.
In this scenario, you don’t have to worry about working in the strict office hours; you can work according to your flexibility. You can work in the comfort of your homes or even in the luxury of a resort. With remote work, you don’t have to cancel your trips or planned vacation, as you can log in from anywhere in the world. You can set up your workspace in the way you like.
Pros and Cons of Remote Work
There are numerous advantages of remote working from the daily commute to the atmosphere you choose to work.
Pros:
- With remote work, you don’t have to worry about the hassle of a daily commute. You can be anywhere in the world and continue to work with your project.
- Another perk is you can take care of your family and your health as well. You don’t have to miss any family events; all you have to do is to accommodate the work time in between. You can fly around the world without any barriers.
- Another huge advantage of the company is that they can choose from a larger pool of candidates with no geographical barriers.
- It also gives the company the flexibility to choose candidates for shorter periods. As the number of remote candidates increases the employer’s worry about office space decreases, and also the capital investments in ample office space is not there.
Cons:
Even when there are numerous advantages, there are certain drawbacks for remote working.
- As a remote employee, you don’t get to meet your team at any time. You won’t be having any attachment towards your office or colleagues. The sense of being a part of an organization will be lacking.
- The remote employee needs to be more proactive and have more willpower to stick on to the deadlines. As working remotely means, there are more chances of distractions.
- Another major drawback is there is always the risk of ensuring data security in remote working. The company’s confidential information can get leaked.
- From the employer side, it will not be easy to track the performance of the remote employee and also there will be managerial issues.
Working from Home
Another work strategy adopted by many companies, which proved to be useful, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic is work from home. It helped companies to keep on working on their projects without any difficulties. While working from home, employees are allowed to work out of the office for a short period, which means you will have to come to the office.
The companies have now programs that offer work from home once a month or even for a week at a time. You can be more relaxed and work from the comfort of your house. It is beneficial when you have a family emergency or not feeling well.
Pros and Cons of Working from Home
Like remote work, working from home also has its own set of drawbacks and benefits.
Pros:
- Like in the case of remote work, one of the most significant advantages is there is no extra time required for commuting. You don’t have to spend long hours in traffic. It will ensure a happier mindset in the employees.
- It will help to maintain work-life balance for the employees, especially the ones with kids. As they get to spend the entire day with family. And they get the extra time by saving themselves from the traffic.
- Another significant advantage is that employees get to spend more time with themselves and can take care of their health and wellness. If you fall sick and don’t feel like coming to the office, you can still work from the comfort of your home.
- Working from home also gives you the flexibility to make your workspace.
- Work from home lets you be a part of the office and the employee activities. Here you get to meet your colleagues and make a bond with them. It will, in turn, create an emotional attachment with the office. You will have a sense of belonging to the organization.
Cons:
- Not all the jobs fit in the work from home category. There are jobs where you have to be in the office. So it is not always an option.
- There is always the problem of connectivity, as the employee is not doing it on a regular base they won’t be having all the needed things.
Remote Work vs. Working from Home
With the detailed analysis of remote work and working from home, now we can point out the differences between the two.
- Working from home is a temporary option that can be stretched to a few days, but remote work is another working strategy where you won’t be part of the company’s physical workspace.
- In the working from home option, you have an emotional relationship with the organization, but in remote work, it isn’t easy to achieve.
- In remote work, you have the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world, but in working from home; you don’t get that flexibility.
- In remote working, the employee has to set up their own space and all the needed equipment for the long term, which can be expensive in the beginning. For the work from home option, as it is a temporary one, you don’t have to worry much about the workspace.
Final Thoughts
Both remote work and working from home have their own set of advantages and drawbacks. Companies have to identify which is most suitable for their working environment. Every jobs cannot be done remotely. Whatever be the working strategy, you have to make sure it improves the efficiency of the workforce.
