The rise of remote work

More importantly, however, being able to choose their own working hours means that they will likely get down to work during their most productive times (for some it’s early in the morning, for others its after lunch, and then there’s the occasional night owl).

Burnout and loneliness

While remote work offers many advantages, it has its own share of disadvantages. While remote workers are more productive and satisfied with their job, sometimes working remotely can lead to burnout and feelings of loneliness. The latter can be managed by having regular one on one meetings with staff and by making sure that people are regularly communicating with one another. The former, burnout, is a trickier situation. Reports have found that remote workers have a harder time powering off and disconnecting from their work. Therefore, it’s not uncommon to have remote workers that are always on, answering emails, calls, chats, etc. regardless if it’s in the wee hours of the morning or quite late at night. To help prevent burnout among remote workers, companies should encourage them to set their own available hours, make sure they take breaks throughout the day, and measuring performance based on results and not total hours clocked in.

Diversity and inclusion

One less cited advantage of remote work is that can enable companies to achieve its diversity and inclusion goals. By allowing staff to work remotely, companies are able to hire professionals that would otherwise not be able to work: parents, caregivers, students, women, disabled individuals, the list goes on. Additionally, by having a remote work policy in place companies can hire talent across borders, meaning that they will have a more diverse workforce simply by taking geographic lines out of the equation.

Looking ahead

Remote work will continue to grow and evolve in the coming years as technology continues to change the nature of work. Currently, remote work has given rise to digital nomads and emerging technologies continue to shape the way we work.

In the future, augmented reality and virtual reality are likely to revolutionize the way we interact with space and people; instead of having video calls, remote workers will be able to meet with others face to face, but virtually through holograms or a virtual reality headset.

In simple terms, remote work is the way of the future. In fact, it’s the way of today, as more professionals expect their companies to provide flexible working or remote work policies.