Working remotely is also known as work from anywhere, anytime, and with flexibility. Working from home or remotely has been one of the full-on global work movement long before the coronavirus pandemic. With the current virus pandemic, working from home or remotely is soon becoming a necessity whose benefits can never be underestimated. In the past decades, employers learned the importance of allowing their employees to work remotely and at their convenience. Of course, some jobs cannot be done remotely like manual laborers.
However, most of the work can be shifted to allow people to work from home. The growing interconnectivity and affordability of the internet can enable employees to work remotely and perhaps hold a few meetings online.
Benefits of working remotely
Some benefits of working remotely are assisting in curbing the spread of Covid-19, provision of work flexibility, cost-saving, increasing the competitiveness of the business, and the possibility of increased productivity.
1. Working remotely helps in curbing the spread of Covid-19
With the current global pandemic, working remotely is one of the best ways that employers can ensure that their employees are safe. Keeping social distance and following all procedures to curb the virus might be challenging when all the employees are confined in an office. Thus, working from home can help the employees have an automatic social distance and avoid unnecessary commotions and commuting that can easily pass the virus from one person to another.
Working remotely is one of the best ways to keep employees safe and healthy in the current world situation. The virus can be contracted not only in offices but also during commutes. Remote work, preferably from home, reduces unnecessary movements, minimizing virus spread. Therefore, employers and employees should consider working from home to help lower or curb the spread of COVID-19.
2. Provision for work flexibility
Working remotely gives employees more freedom to work in their comfort. Such freedom during work gives workers the advantage of keeping employees happier, engaged, and fulfilled. Besides, an employee would schedule his or her time to allow them to attend to their business, making them feel relaxed and not fixed with the working schedule and the normal working office hours. Working remotely equally saves on time, allowing the employees to engage in other issues—taking, for instance, the traditional office setting that requires employees to report to a working office at a specific time. They would have to prepare and commute to and from the office. The time taken in commuting and preparation can otherwise be used to do something constructive, giving employees the freedom to attend to other personal issues or parenting responsibilities.
This process makes life more fun and work less demanding for the employees. Besides, there is time that is lost in the working from office. These include the breaks that are given between the working hours. Additionally, lunch and breakfast breaks also waste time when compared to working remotely when one can decide to have meals while completing their tasks.
3. Cost-saving
Working from home is one of the best ways that both employees and employers can save money and resources. The employees can save a lot since the commuting expenses will be significantly cut. One does not need to travel to and from the offices during the rush hours when working remotely. The commuting cost will add to a considerable amount of money when accumulated over a certain period. Besides, the workers will not have to spend on lunch meals and breakfast when they are working remotely since they will only need to prepare their meals when in the house. Saving on meals can also play a significant part when it is a question of saving on the expenses. Therefore, if an employee does the math, they will realize that there is a change in their bank account when such costs are cut off.
Further, the employers will also have something to smile about. Assuming that you are an employer with a reasonable number of employees, you will be forced to hire working space to accommodate all your employees. The cost of renting a working space depending on the size and number can be very high. Therefore, when that amount is saved it can help the employer divert that amount to other businesses. Besides, an employer would outsource other services like security, internet connection, maintenances, and cleaners. All these will require their pay share monthly or as agreed. If these are also saved, the employer will have a considerable increase in their bank account that can be channeled to other work or investments.
4. Increasing the competitiveness of the business
Irrespective of the business, the employees play a critical role in ensuring that the business is successful. When the employees are given the freedom to work remotely, it will imply that they will work happily and competitively for the business. Since most of the top talents are looking for a job opportunity that will give them the freedom and ability to work remotely, a company that offers the freedom will have the chance to hire and retain top talents. Such talents will significantly help in improving the growth of the business in today’s competitive market. Working remotely is essential in ensuring that the company remains relevant and gets top-rated employees with the ability to improve on the company’s products and services. This results in making the company more competitive in the current competitive market structure.
5. Possibility of increased productivity
An old saying goes, ‘A free person is more productive than a slave’. Working from the office is not slavery though it has a tight schedule that can be inconvenient to some employees. If a person feels that a work plan is too tight and they are struggling to cope up, they would be frustrated and start working for the sake of getting paid. However, if they can work with freedom, they would become more productive and enjoy whatever they are doing.
A company that allows remote work is more likely to see better results and productivity than one with tight schedules. Daily commuting can cause fatigue, reducing employees’ productivity. Working from home or a comfortable location helps avoid this. Remote work also frees up time for employees as it eliminates chitchats that waste time and reduces concentration.
Conclusion
Working from home requires discipline to achieve company goals. With less supervision, employees must be self-disciplined to complete tasks on time. Remote work ensures workers’ health is cared for and saves both time and money. It provides flexibility and breaks the routine, reducing office boredom and boosting productivity. Remote work offers more advantages than drawbacks. Employers and employees should focus on it to curb COVID-19 and enjoy the other benefits discussed.
FAQs
Yes, most remote workers are more productive than on-site goers. However, it still depends on individual discipline and commitment.Â
All workers in Hong Kong are expected to file their taxes. If you are an employer and allows your workers to work remotely then you are obliged to submit their taxes as defined by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) of Hong Kong. Â
Several benefits come with working remotely not only in Hong Kong but globally. Some of the merits include:
- Increased flexibility as workers will work at their time of convenience
- The productivity of the workers is more likely to be higher if they are allowed to work remotely
- Cost-saving is also evident
Working remotely is a style that allows workers to execute their normal duties outside of the normal routine of 9 am- 6 pm in the office. The workers can therefore choose to work from wherever they please.Â
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