Working from home became possible with WiFi’s introduction. Since social networking platforms like Yammer and Slack have matured as tools for multi-location collaboration have improved, telework continues to flourish.
Ten years ago, most employers would have hesitated to allow regular telecommuting. With COVID-19’s pandemic sweeping through, that mindset shifted.
The Internet Age
Technology’s rapid progress continues to transform how people work. Technology has revolutionized processes that were once laborious or wasteful; improved access to information; and exponentially boosted productivity.
One of the greatest effects of digitalization has been remote working technologies. Remote work platforms allow employees to carry out their duties from home or any location with an internet connection – revolutionizing workers’ jobs, how they collaborate with coworkers, and company operations management strategies.
As organizations transition towards all-remote workplaces, organizations will require infrastructure that will enable them to track and support workers from afar. This may include remote collaboration tools, virtual meetings platforms and secure email solutions as well as robust security measures protecting employee and client data. In addition, all-remote employers may also need to train employees on digital security measures.
The COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a massive shift towards remote work, but has also opened up opportunities. Working from home allows firms to save costs on office space rental while decreasing overhead expenses.
As well as saving time and money by working from home, telecommuting also reduces environmental pollution and carbon emissions – according to the US Patent and Trademark Office employees have saved an astounding 84 Million miles since 2015 alone by working from home!
To understand these transformations, I compared data from workers at two sets of firms: one that never provided flexible work options prior to COVID-19 and a matched control group that implemented remote work policies during the pandemic. I observed how these changes affected structural diversity of their ego networks as well as time spent collaborating with different teams or individuals within their firm’s informal collaboration network; additionally I observed whether their access to new information also altered.
Telecommuting
Telecommuting has become an increasingly popular trend. Many employees now have the option to work from home either full- or part-time, leading to greater productivity while decreasing office overhead costs.
Remote workers enjoy numerous advantages over office employees. One major perk of working from home is saving both time and money on commute costs, freeing them up for personal activities, side projects, family life or just relaxing! This creates a healthier work-life balance which results in happier employees overall.
Working from home also allows employees to create their ideal working environments, whether that means creating a quiet room with dimmed lighting at home, or taking advantage of natural light and relaxing music in a coffee shop. Being able to choose where they feel most productive increases motivation.
An additional advantage for companies is reduced energy costs. An office-only company will consume far more power, water and heating resources than one with employees working remotely from home.
The Future
Remote work could become increasingly prevalent over time; however, this will depend on the job and technology available to an employee. Many large tech companies such as Google, Facebook and Shopify already employ flexible remote working policies that support remote workers.
Remote workers tend to feel happier and more productive due to being free from distractions that inhibit focus on their work. Furthermore, remote employees save on both commute time and costs associated with office supplies.
Remote workers have an increased advantage when working remotely because they can collaborate in real-time with team members around the globe in real time, which increases productivity by improving communication among team members more effectively and decreasing productivity loss due to slow networks, cumbersome hardware or software, distractions or technical difficulties. A video conferencing solution makes this particularly true; employees can quickly return on track if distracted by technical difficulties while maintaining high levels of communication while keeping projects on schedule.