Out of office - how remote or hybrid working can work for you

When the pandemic struck and lockdowns descended bringing with them working from home for a lot of employees, a lot of people realised that remote working was a good idea. And organisations realised too that employees could be just as productive at home as in the office.

The pandemic is, largely, behind us now, but the desire for remote working (among employees at any rate) is still there. When we polled our LinkedIn audience on the best benefits an employer can offer, remote working was the most popular of the four choices (remote working, flexible hours, professional development, additional leave), followed by flexible hours.

That backs up results from our jobseekers survey last year in which 53% preferred a hybrid approach and 25% preferred working primarily from home, and flexible working and remote-friendly roles were the top benefits they were looking for. Less than 10% wanted to work primarily from the office.

More recently though there’s been a push from employers to get employees back in the office and that’s led to tension.

What are the benefits of working from home?

Less commuting and more time - The biggest win of working from home is that your commute is more likely to be a walk down the hall to your home office rather than hours stuck in traffic or on public transport. This can save you time which gives you more time in your day to do other things.

Less stress - Many people find working from home less stressful than going to an office. This can be particularly true if you struggle in large social settings, or you have health challenges that make being in different environments challenging.

Better productivity - With more time and less stress, many people are more productive when working from home. A study from Otago University found that of people working from home during lockdown, 73% were equally or more productive.

Saved money - With less of a commute and no temptation to buy lunch or a coffee each day from that cafe near the office, working from home could be a money saver. This can be a double-edged sword though as any money saved might be spent on higher utility bills or extra food for all those at-home lunches.

What are the drawbacks?

Setting up - If you are going to work from home a lot you need the right setup. That might be a decent desk and chair, or it might be specialist equipment for your role. Either way, you might need to rearrange some space at home or have a financial outlay to get set up.

Distractions - While many people report being more productive at home, it’s also easy to get distracted. You might not have co-workers to talk to, but friends or family dropping round may take up time. Or that pile of washing in the corner might catch your eye and beg to be put in the machine.

Not as much freedom as you think - It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that because you are working from home, you can take a nap or run an errand whenever you want. But not all remote work arrangements may allow for that. Your employer may want you at your desk from 9-5 even if that desk is in your home not the office. To really enjoy freedom to be able to set your own hours you will also need to negotiate some flexible working arrangements.

It’s harder to be part of the team - One of the difficulties of working remotely is being a member of the team, especially if the team is split between remote workers and in-office workers. It can sometimes be harder to get traction in team meetings if you are on the Zoom screen and you might miss out on informal interactions or discussions if you aren’t in the office.

How to approach remote working?

Decide how remote you want to be. There are varying degrees of working from home, and while some employers might not be open to fully remote work, they may be open to some combination such as:

• Allowing you to work from home fully but requiring you to attend an office or specified location at a set date/time for in-person meetings or events.

• Allowing you to choose the best place for them to work at any given time. That might be at home, in the office or on location.

• Agreeing that you can work set days from home and set days in the office.

• Allowing you to vary your at-home and in-office days week by week but asking you to confirm that schedule and stick to it each week.

• Giving you the chance to flex throughout the year. For example, parents could choose to work from home more during the school holidays and attend the office more during term time.

If you’re already in a role and want to switch to remote working, the first step is to talk to your team leader or manager about your options. Go in with a plan to present to them and take it from there.

If you are job hunting, you can often refine your job search by looking for remote or work-from-home (WFH) roles. Remember to check the details carefully. Some employers say jobs are remote, either accidentally without fully understanding what that means or deliberately to try and encourage applicants.

If you really like the look of a role but it isn’t listed as remote or WFH you could contact the recruiter before applying to see if they’d be open to remote or hybrid options. Or apply anyway and then ask during the interview or negotiate if you get an offer.

Working from home isn’t for everyone. But if your role allows for it, then working remotely for at least part of your week can bring big benefits.