Will Working From Home Become the Norm
Is working from home the future or will we be back in the office in 2022?
Home or Office
Where would you rather work? Where do you feel more productive and comfortable? How do you feel about working remotely full time? These questions, among others, are certainly worth considering. In the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, shifts and changes to our working life do seem to make sense. But what if the pandemic was over? Would you prefer to stay working from home?
In this brief article, we are going to consider whether working from home will become the norm, leaving the office buildings empty of their employees. How likely are we to stay in a home-office setting for the foreseeable future?
Matter of the Law
Whether you wish to stay working remotely or miss your daily office chit-chats already, there is no doubt that considering a more flexible approach to employment is on everyone’s mind. From corporate leaders to government officials, discussing the potential of a hybrid employment system is already here. Speculations surrounding the ministerial body crafting a bill to normalise flexible working are a simple reminder that the wheels of change are already moving.
We might have to wait a while before such legislation changes take place, but the facts are here. The way people work is shifting and the likelihood of keeping a more hybrid approach to employment is rather high. Whatever outcome you wish for, we hope the law fits your vision.
Personal(ity) Preference
Do you prefer the office or the house? It’s a valid question and not necessarily easy to answer. Both of these working environments have some advantages and disadvantages to their nature. One offers a community setting with co-workers peering over their laptops, the other acknowledges the comfort of staying in bed longer and seeing one’s loved ones more often. And the truth is, each of us will choose differently between them.
It’s not only a personal choice but a personality preference, which sometimes might not seem obvious to the one making the choice in the first place. A person’s level of extroversion and the likelihood of cooperating with others will have a major impact on one’s satisfaction of working from home or office respectively. It is a matter of personal taste. That’s why this matter is such a controversial one. No matter what the outcome might be, there will be people wishing to get their office back, and those whose efforts to stay at home as much as possible will have to be recognised.
Productivity and Imbalance
Where do we work better – at home or in the office? Studies have shown that this question can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, employees working remotely have been found to work slightly more efficiently than those who stayed in the company’s building. On the other hand, the work-life balance became a much bigger challenge for those who had to tend to their responsibilities from the heavens of their homes. Where productivity went up, an imbalance followed suit.
This is not to say that working from home cannot be balanced and healthy while producing better results and keeping the company’s targets on point. It is, however, a new kind of challenge for the employees and their teams to overcome. If we wish to keep the hybrid, WFH-kind of an environment, our leaders will have to emphasise the importance of work-life balance hygiene and promote personal well-being among their peers and employees.
Working Remotely in 2022
In the end, with remote jobs on the rise, it is no surprise that working from home will play a big role in 2022. Some workers might attempt going back to the offices, some companies might experiment with more hybrid approaches, but ultimately with the pandemic still around, working remotely is likely to stay with us for a little longer.
In the upcoming months, the government might bring up a new piece of legislation regarding this employment arrangement. It would potentially help the employees and provide a more universal approach to the WFH difficulties. Until then, however, we are likely to continue our work in a setup already in place. Because, like with anything, we (humans) tend to use the best technique available, until someone doesn’t come up with a better solution.
Where Do You Want to Work
The greatest aspect of the present state of the job market is the matter of choice. With normalisation of remote work and dynamic shifts in the field of office use, there are more opportunities to choose from. Whether you’d like to work from your living room or wish to get back in the office, more and more companies are trying out both kinds of employment, making it possible for employees to choose. It is a great opportunity for those who wish to try these new approaches out. It is a moment to experiment.
If you’re looking for more freedom in your workplace, asking for remote employment might be a great option for you. As a freelancer, you can work from wherever you want. Employees working from home, you can spend more time with your family instead of commuting to the office for hours each day. For business owners, you can look into the advantages of remote work and decide whether giving up that office building rental could work for your company. In the end, time will tell where our working arrangements stand. For now, everyone is experimenting and so we would like to encourage you to do the same. Take advantage of the opportunity and see what works for you!
Before You Go
If you liked this article, check out the one about lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic. And if you’re looking for freelancing jobs and a platform to support you on your journey, register on Revolancer today! Noticed our fresh lick of paint? Read about the Revolancer Rebrand!
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