It is no surprise that COVID flipped this year upside down and changed not only the plans we made but our everyday work life. Due to the coronavirus being highly contentious, most companies around the world have allowed their employees to work from home since March.
For many companies, this way of working was initially a bit frowned upon, mostly since it had never been tested out with a large scale of people. Some managers and bosses also had to let go of some control and trust that their employees were doing their jobs from the comforts of their own homes.
Today many companies can agree that working from home is just as effective, if not more in some cases, as working from the office. And even though many companies are preparing for their employees to come back to the office, many are also exploring the possibilities for their employees to keep working from home. Since most countries are also expecting a bit of a second wave with new corona cases rising, the possibility to come back to an office might be further away than we think.
Considering this, many big companies such as Google, Amazon and Twitter, have extended the possibility to work from home for their employees. Some for the remaining months of 2020, others all the way to June of 2021.
Working from home
Working from home has been a readjustment for many. To find your productive spirit and be able to get things done when you are easily distracted by chores, can be a challenge. But many have pulled through and delivered just as good results as if they had been working from the office. In fact, many have said that they now actually prefer working from home. This is because they have discovered many benefits with not leaving the house during their work hours.
The benefits of working from home:
No commute – people that normally would take their car or any form of public transportation to work, now have a lot more time on their hands.
More time with significant other and/or family – for people that live with a partner or have children, this has meant that you get to spend more time together.
Flexible schedule – by planning your time and making sure you get all your work done it is easy to squeeze in some afternoon yoga or maybe an at-home workout during lunch.
Saving money – by not having to commute to work, many people have been saving money on travels. Some also found that they save money in making lunch at home and not going out to eat every day.
It is not for everyone
However, not everyone has found benefits or joy in working from home. It is not a way of working that is suitable for everyone. Even the most dedicated to their home office must admit that there have been moments when it has felt lonely or just demotivating to start yet another day alone in your home.
One thing people seem to be missing the most is their old routine, a routine where you get up every morning and put on your work clothes, go to work and sit down at your desk. Then have a break or lunch with your co-workers and can have meetings with people face to face.
Another thing that has been prominent is that many have developed back and neck problems because of bad posture. This has especially occurred for people that lack a good home office set up.
Disadvantages of working from home:
Lonely – for people that are single or whose partner is not working from home, the days can tend to get lonely and isolated.
Missing colleagues/less interaction – even though you can chat and schedule video calls, it is not the same as grabbing a coffee together in the office kitchen.
No good home office set up – to succeed with the art of working from home it is vital to have a desk or table of some sort. A place where you can sit down and be comfortable. If you lack this, it is hard to find your focus and you will most likely have body aches from the poor ergonomically set up.
What does the future hold?
The truth is that no one is certain when it will be safe to return to an office filled with other people. And as we mentioned earlier, a lot of big companies have already decided to prolong the time their employees can work from home. Some other suggestions that companies are evaluating are if it would be possible for their employees to work two or three days from home and the rest from the office. This is a solution that could be beneficial for many.
One thing is for sure, 2020 is a year that has definitely forced us to see things from other perspectives and has shown us that a seemingly hopeless situation can turn out quite well after all.