Benefits & Challenges of Working From Home

Breaking The Stereotype

Many people are sceptical about the benefits of working from home as they directly relate it with decreased productivity.  They associate it with the stereotype of cyberloafing, Netflix binging and spending all day in pyjamas with an undisciplined professional routine. 

However, A recent survey shows respondents may achieve greater productivity when working remotely compared to working in an office setting.  In a different survey, respondents reported increased happiness when working remotely.

A recent survey shows respondents may achieve greater productivity when working remotely compared to working in an office setting.

Everyone seems to talk about work-life balance. There has never been a better chance for employers to let employees work from home.

Some of the benefits of working from home include less time in transit. This translates into more time with their family and for themselves, and there is no stressful daily commute that eats up significant daily productive hours. They don’t have to rush from home or skip breakfast. When you eat healthy and spend more time with your family, you  feel less stressed. 

There has never been a better chance for employers to let employees work from home.

Communication & Collaboration

Complications in Communicating and collaborating effectively can be one of the major issues while working from home.

Here are some ways that can help address communication issues and turn a challenging situation into one of the benefits of working from home: 

Track your team’s performance:

Set clear expectations about the expected output, time of task completion, and the quality of work. Frequently check how your team is doing and provide regular feedback to keep the operations running as effectively. Make sure your peers are capable of staying accountable for their tasks. It’s okay to catch up once a day to understand what they might need to finish their activities. 

Open Collaboration:

Each member of a team should have regular conversations with each other so that they keep staying connected in the teamwork environment. It’s important to stay connected and not isolate yourself. Having an open conversation and doing something fun can help your staff feel relaxed and focused while working. 

Having an open conversation and doing something fun can help your staff feel relaxed and focused while working. 

Time Management:

Time management is crucial because every task needs to be finished on time – some have tight deadlines some don’t. Start with a to-do list and batch similar tasks into one group. Focus on one task at a time rather than multitasking and switching in between. 

Time management my be a challenge at first, but if done right you can find yourself with more time and free time! Focus on proper time management to turn this challenge into one of the many benefits of working from home.

Scheduling:

To stay on schedule, segment what you will do and when you will do it over the day. Use tools like Google calendar to create personal events, reminders and tasks. You can also add a time log to check how much time you are spending on each task and at what time you are most productive. Set a schedule and stick to it. Create clear guidelines for when to work and when to end the workday to maintain a work-life balance.

Limit Social Media Time:

Social media is designed to keep you engaged in. It can be tempting to keep checking your social media accounts when you don’t feel like working. It is better to take breaks rather than to scroll social media as it can hamper your focus and productivity. You can close out all social media accounts and even use an incognito mode to ensure you don’t use social media frequently or do a random web search.

Mental Health 

Disconnecting:

It’s difficult working from home if there’s no separation between work and home and environment and your devices become your office. Make sure you disconnect from your devices and take intentional breaks from time to time.

Good mental health is important so take time at home to focus on it, and turn it into one of your benefits of working from home!

Combating loneliness:

20% percent state loneliness is their biggest struggle when it comes to working from home. Connect with your teammates to maintain collaboration and connection.

Take Breaks:

Take some time away from sitting on your workstation and staring at the screen all day.