Is Remote Work More Productive?
You might think that people who work from home lounge around and watch TV in their pyjamas all day but it could be argued that remote working actually makes you more productive than office based colleagues.
Remote work or work from home allows for freedom. But, does it make people more productive? There have been many studies conducted in relation to productivity and remote work as well as studies on office or nine to five productivity. More than one study concluded that people who work from home are happier, earn more and quit their job less.
However, what are the perks and pitfalls of working at home when it comes to productivity?
There is no chit chat
One of the biggest perks of working from home is that there is no unnecessary chit chat between coworkers. Remote workers are alone and they can focus on their work completely during their working hours. There are no unnecessary meetings, no water cooler talk, rumours, office politics and so on. This means that freelancers or remote workers actually work while they are working – they are not wasting their time on senseless talk.
This is hard to fight off in an office. Sharing a joke or two, catching up with your coworkers and having meetings that last a lot longer than they need to is all a normal part of office life.
Some people hate having no one to talk to. These people usually hate remote work and find office work more productive. But some people prefer the lack of contact with other people and they like investing all of their focus on a single thing.
Working for eight hours in an office often means just being in an office for eight hours while the effective work hours are much shorter.
No Commute
“Freelancers and remote workers don’t have to commute to work. They work during the times other people commute and that extra time is used on productive, effective work” says Italia Bell, a freelance editor at Next Coursework.
They also don’t have to get especially ready for work and they save time there as well. This is great because all of that time – which is usually wasted – is actually put into great work
You Get To Set Your Own Schedule
People in the office are stuck on a certain schedule – the regular nine to five. But, when you work remotely, you get to work when you feel like working. This takes a lot more discipline and responsibility than office work.
But, you get to work each day in the hours you feel most ready for it. You can work in the early mornings if that’s when you feel most productive or you can work later in the day. All that matters is that the actual work gets done. You can base your schedule on your schedule on your personal ups and downs. But, as mentioned, it requires a discipline that not all people have and that’s precisely why not all people are ready for remote work.
You also get to make breaks when you feel an energy low. You get to refresh and find that motivation back so you can move on with your work.
“People with children or pets might get more distracted but there are simple solutions to these situations. But you get to design a space you like and work in a way that suits you – for example with loud music or by the window” says Haley Winston, a web developer at Australia2Write and Brit student.
Unfortunately, remote workers get judged a lot by their office colleagues. But this can just be misplaced jealousy. The truth is, remote workers actually do more work and often work longer hours than people in the office. Either way of work can be productive, depending on what suits your personality.
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