Top Advantages and Disadvantages of Working from Home

Remote Work

Top Advantages and Disadvantages of Working from Home

Working from home can be a lucrative career option for one. Working from home gives flexibility to the employee. Work from home provides a good work-life balance to the employee, increases efficiency, and helps the company accomplish its goal. 

On the one hand, working from home eliminates many traditional aspects of work, such as commuting and dressing in professional attire. In contrast, on the other hand, it also reduces social interactions and standard accountability processes. Depending on your work style and cultural priorities, it could be a good thing or a bad thing for you. 

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies offer “work from home” options to their employees. As per the stats, 

  • Over 67% of employers surveyed allowed employees to work from home who do not normally do so. 
  • 36% actively encouraged all the employees to work from home in some or all parts of the country.

More people are working from home. Working from home plays an important role in your life or the lives of those you live with. Depending on the desired work style and cultural preferences, it could be the best or worst. Working from home is a real blessing for some people, while others hate it.

Therefore, when making the transition to a work-at-home job, you should consider a few things because the coronavirus is not going anywhere soon. 

If the virus continues to spread in the same ratio, then as per the stats,

  • By 2028, 73% of all departments are expected to have remote workers. 
  • 85% of managers believe that having remote workers will become the new normal for many teams. 

Analyzing all the aspects, working remotely has so many real and tangible advantages, yet, there are also some disadvantages that you can solve with some planning.

Thus, in this article, we have outlined the most common pros and cons of working from home to help you determine if it is the right career move for you.

But first, let’s understand the concept, “ Work from Home.”

What is Work From Home?

Work from home refers to working remotely(work at home) rather than in an office. Informally, the acronym “WFH” is used for the concept. All you need is good access to the internet and a laptop or PC to collaborate and network with colleagues and managers regarding your office work. 

Employees can perform their work tasks from their homes by enjoying the flexibility and freedom that WFH offers. Moreover, employees even work while they travel, as long as there’s a reliable internet connection. So, during the global pandemic of Coronavirus, many companies implemented work from home models. 

While working from home is highly appealing and comes with many benefits, it also comes with drawbacks that should be considered when switching to a home-based position.

working from home

Advantages of Working From Home 

From reduced commuting costs to higher motivation, working from home offers many benefits for both parties: company and employee. 

Some of the advantages that employees and companies can enjoy through work from the home concept are listed below:

➡ Flexible Schedule 
➡ Save money 
➡ No commute 
➡ No office distraction 
➡ Increase productivity 
➡ Improve technical skills
➡ Better work/life balance 
➡ Happier and healthier work-life 
➡ Decrease stress
➡ Comfortability 
➡ A great number of applicants 
➡ Profitable in terms of resources and money 
➡ Pool of talent 

 Advantages of Working from Home

Advantages For employee 

1. Flexible Schedule 

Working from home doesn’t affect normal business hours. Working from home lets you schedule your work around your most productive times and set up a workflow that best works for you. 

Remote work means employees can work from anywhere, not just from their homes. For instance,  coffee shops, beaches, and other countries are now options. 

  • Also, you can take breaks whenever you want, do not feel pressured to end a call when a family member calls,
  • You can eat lunch whenever you want, 
  • You can work in an environment that suits your preferences and makes you happy and productive; for example, you can choose your environment, temperature, lighting, setting, and mood. 
  • You can therefore work when you feel most productive. 

Some people may have their most productive hours in the morning, while others prefer to work at night. Finally, you can work at your own pace.

Using asynchronous work, organizations can even extend operations beyond the standard 9 to 5 workday, which can be very beneficial to those employees who are night owls, or to those who have small children, and also for those parents who work irregular shifts to accommodate their families. 

2. Save Money 

Work from home means you do all your office work from your home. You do not need to dress up, get ready, and go to the office facing insane traffic jams. Hence, saving money and reducing traveling time and transportation expenses to some extent. 

Working from home can also help you cut expenses such as 

  • Food costs,
  • Work clothes costs, and
  • Childcare, 

You won’t have to spend as much money on childcare if you work from home. For parents who work from home, saving on childcare costs can be especially beneficial.

Learn more:- How You Can Save Money And Time Working Remotely.

3. No commute 

Working from home means that you do not have to commute. Working from home is a great way to avoid the daily commute. Avoiding the commute can keep you mentally and physically healthy. It can even help you feel less stressed daily.

It also saves a lot of time and money. There won’t be any tension of traveling in overcrowded buses or trains. Also, no more frustrating and annoying traffic jams.

As a result, you’ll have more time to devote to priorities outside of work, such as getting more sleep in the morning, working out, eating a healthy breakfast, and spending time with family.

Learn More: How To Support Mental Health Of Remote Workers

4. No office distractions 

Working at home eliminates office distractions. Workplace noise such as coworkers talking, phones ringing, or office equipment running can be highly distracting. These distractions are not present in a home office.

When you work from home and are isolated from your surroundings, you can avoid distractions from coworkers, unimportant meetings, and unnecessary interruptions.

Although there are distractions at home, they are much easier to control than those you experience at work from employees, coworkers, and other noises.

Learn More:- Remove Your Distraction & Increase The Productivity

5. Increase productivity 

When employees work from home, they feel freer, which leads to higher motivation and increases productivity. Increased productivity relates to several more factors, including 

  • The ability to move around your home freely and 
  • take breaks whenever you feel the need to. 
  • Being able to step away from your work when you feel like you need a break 

When you have this kind of freedom at work, you can stay motivated and reduce burnout, which is possible only with a work from home concept. 

Employees who work independently at their own pace in their preferred environment, away from the stress and distractions of the office, are usually much happier and more productive. Around 77% of remote workers say they are more productive when working from home. Also, a decrease in commuting and traveling time can increase motivation.

As companies around the world adopt remote work environments, it is important for employees to have access to the right tools and resources to stay productive. With so many options available, it can be difficult for employers and employees to know which productivity tools are best for working from home.

Learn More:- 10 Best Ways to Increase Employee Productivity in the Workplace

6. Improve technical skills 

Technology-based tools such as online meeting platforms, team collaboration, and communication platforms are necessary for telecommuting. And operating such tools requires technical knowledge, which ultimately results in developing skills that aren’t used in a typical workplace.

Learn More :- Work  from Home Requires These Skills

7. Better work/life balance 

Employees who have a good work-life balance are more motivated and productive. However, most employees find it difficult to balance work and personal life. Working from home can help make balancing work and family life easier.

Working from home allows many people to balance work and personal responsibilities. Better work-life balance is the main reason why people choose to work remotely. Having the flexibility and freedom to work from home allows you to handle more essential tasks and live a more satisfying lifestyle.

Remote work will allow you to spend more time with your family and yourself. You still feel close to your private life even though you work from home just as much time as you would in an office. 

Learn More:- Effects Of Working In an Unhealthy Work Environment

8. Happier and healthier work-life

Employees who work remotely tend to be more satisfied, happier, and loyal because working from home reduces stress, provides employees with more leisure time and enhances personal relationships by doing fun things at home.

When employees work remotely, they can set aside time and create a healthy environment.

Additionally, working from home can benefit your health in a variety of ways:

  • Increased time for physical activity
  • A healthy diet
  • Reduced risk of illness
  • Taking care of a disease or disability is easy
  • Ability to create an ergonomic and comfortable workspace

9. Decrease stress

Working from home can reduce stress. 74% of workers say that working remotely would make them less likely to leave a company. Because when you work from home, you have more control over your stress levels.

You can take a break or take a power nap to refresh your mind if things get too hectic. No prying eyes are watching you and judging you as in the office; that alone is a stress reliever. 

You don’t have to worry about commuting in the morning. Also, there are no workplace disputes or personality clashes to deal with. Nonetheless, there can sometimes be remote work conflicts, but such conflicts can be handled more efficiently than workplace disputes. 

10. Comfortability

You are free to dress in whatever you feel most comfortable in. Goodbye to formal dress like suits and ties. You don’t need to do your hair or wear makeup. 

When you’ve had an unpleasant day, or perhaps you’re feeling cold, you can wrap in a blanket and work from a comfortable chair.

But remember:  too much coziness can harm your productivity.

Advantages For Office

11. A great number of applicants 

Working from home eliminates location-related issues when hiring a team. Anyone from across the country – or around the world can apply for jobs without having to worry about going to work every day. 

It not only opens up your workforce to a wide range of skilled individuals but also makes your company more accessible for all.

For example, someone with a disability or a pregnant woman will not worry about getting to the workplace. Even parents with children who tend to leave the job can be retained for the job.

Learn More:- Guide About How To Hire Remote Employees

12. Profitable in terms of resources and money 

It is highly beneficial for a company to move to remote work. Your company will save a lot of money because they no longer have to pay for 

  • Rent of office space, 
  • Internet, 
  • Electricity bills, 
  • Electronic equipment such as laptops per employee, charging ports, and more. 
  • Provision of a coffee shop or restaurant, 
  • Furniture,
  • Cleaning,
  • Building maintenance.

13. Pool of talent 

The company can choose from a wider pool of candidates when choosing remote workers. Depending on your time zone, the company can hire anywhere in the world. Staff with specialized skills can be found with this method, reducing the need for training.

Hiring remote workers or freelancers has another benefit for the company, as it does not need to pay relocation costs, which can be in the thousands. Millennials have grown up with technology that allows them to work remotely, so they almost expect to be able to do so.

Disadvantages of Working from Home 

Despite the advantages of working from home, there are also challenges. Take a look at some of the disadvantages of working from home for both employee and company.

➡ Increase isolation 
➡ Distractions
➡ Work does not end 
➡ Risk to productivity 
➡ Challenge in monitoring employee’s performance 
➡ Lack of teamwork and community 
➡ The increased need for meeting 

Disadvantages of Working from Home

Disadvantages To Employee 

1. Increase isolation 

Working Employees From home can be isolating and lonely without interacting with coworkers and colleagues. And, there can definitely be a downside to having no social contact and interaction in the daytime. There may be only limited social interaction and no support.

But worry not; you can avoid loneliness and isolation by scheduling outings and events with your friends and family. Also, several remote workplaces organize regular events to encourage socialization among their employees. 

2. Distractions

Although working from home can boost productivity and eliminate office distractions, other distractions may arise, such as interruptions by children, family, pets, work, friends, and neighbors. Due to these too many distractions, your productivity and concentration will be affected.

Despite your physical presence at home, you need to clarify that you are working and are unavailable for an interruption during work hours.

3. Work does not end 

Having the office at home means that you will never leave work. Sometimes it can be not easy to separate private and professional lives. It may become difficult for you to take time off from work.

There will be no more getting into the office at 9 and clocking out at 5. Work can last from the early morning to the late evening. Your entire life revolves around your job.

Flexible working can benefit you in the long run, but it may also increase stress and anxiety. Therefore, it is important to establish a dedicated home office and work routines. 

4. Risk to productivity 

Even though working from home can boost your productivity, it can also be challenging. When you have the freedom to move around and take breaks whenever you feel like it, it might be challenging to stay focused on your tasks. Ultimately, this can reduce productivity

It is great when you don’t have a boss staring at you all day. But some employees will not be able to accomplish much without that pressure. 

Implementing productivity tools and task management apps is one of the best ways to increase productivity.

For company 

5. Challenge in monitoring employee’s performance 

Monitoring the performance and internet usage of employees and managing them without being in the same office space is quite challenging for managers.

It is especially problematic if the job requires excessive “background duties” that are not accessible through the system.

It can take a lot of time to make frequent catchup calls to resolve the issue and reduce productivity. 

Luckily you have timeTracko software which can track employee work performance and their productivity to tackle this issue. Every year companies lose billions of dollars due to laziness of employees. So, tracking employee office time and their performance is mandatory at remote work. 

Why To Use Employee Monitoring App?

  1. To track employee office time
  2. Identify employee productivity and Unproductive work
  3. To Measure idle time
  4. To see screenshots of device
  5. To manage Attendance of employee

6. Lack of teamwork and community 

The idea of working alone away from workplace distractions may be quite appealing to some employees, while others may find it challenging.

When you work from home, you don’t get to work with a team as much. Attempts to communicate and collaborate over the internet may be difficult because there is no direct interaction and communication between team members, which may generally decrease the productivity of the team.

It is possible to connect your employees using video calls or conference platforms such as Zoom, Skype, etc. Still, it might not be as effective as sitting together and brainstorming ideas together. 

Learn More :- Best Tips To Build Successful Team 

7. The increased need for meeting 

After an organization’s employees are dispersed, its leadership needs to keep tabs on them to some degree. Managers can no longer check-in with their employees across the office in a remote work environment. Thus, meetings through video conferencing tools are needed to discuss routine project management tasks. 

The digital meeting can certainly be less disruptive than a formal in-person meeting, but they rarely highlight the working day. Furthermore, over-scheduling meetings also causes frustration among employees.

Final words 

Working from home requires dedication, self-discipline, and self-control. Focus on your goals and keep yourself motivated to work at home alone without getting distracted and losing drive.

Do you think working from home is more advantageous for you? Please share your experience in the comment section!