Remote Work

Characteristics and definitions of remote work

Remote work refers to organizational work that is performed outside the normal organizational confines of space and time (Olson, 1983). There are many synonyms related to remote work, namely: telework, telecommuting, work from home, home-work. It is based on the concept that work does not need to be done in specific place to be executed successfully. 

The phenomenon of remote work is considered already in the 80's but it seems that this topic is gaining importance nowadays. The sophisticated advancements of modern technology have been a major player in flourishing the competitive environment of workplaces. With its huge capacity of interconnecting lines across the globe, communication has work seamlessly, thus, opening more doors of enhancing manpower in the corporate world (Klopotek, 2017).

The revolution, both in communication and technology, has brought about changes in every aspect of social life. The Internet has become the basis of a new economy, characterized by the importance of globalization and information technology. The effects of the above changes are also noticeable on the labor market. It is influenced by the constant modification of both lifestyle and work habits (Zalega , 2002). 

Pros & Cons of remote work

Pros

• Better work-life balance - Remote employees don’t need to spend hours in bumper to bumper traffic every day, which helps them spend more time with their family or take up a hobby. With enough rest and free time every day, employees focus better on their work which directly leads to higher productivity and efficiency.
• More freedom - A traditional employee is expected to work from office 8-9 hours a day, every week. Employees can’t just run out for a personal errand or take an hour-long nap break because they aren’t able to focus on work. They can only do all that after work hours or by taking an official leave from work.
• Improved employee experience - With no daily commute, no excessive coffee breaks, and no long hours away from friends, family, and kids, remote work greatly improves employee experience and well-being. Offering optimum employee experience creates a culture of high performance and efficiency where employees actually want to improve and succeed at their work.
• Decreased business and infrastructure costs - 
  
  When fewer employees come to the office every day, you need fewer desks and equipment to support them. Moreover, you would also need a smaller space to accommodate all the employees coming to the office, leading to lowered rent costs.
• Increase in productivity - Unlike traditional office employees who might feel frustrated after spending an hour or two in the morning commute, remote employees feel more positive and fresh in the morning when they start their work.

Cons

• No face-to-face connection - With no face to face interactions or team meetings, it can be difficult for newly remote teams to work together. Managers worry that their team members might not work as efficiently as they did in the office
• Lack of access to information - Without the right onboarding process or help, it can be challenging for remote employees to find and locate all the information they need to manage their work.
• Decreased collaboration - When teams work remotely, there are fewer chances of employees talking to each other about random day to day things over lunch or coffee break. While these conversations may seem unnecessary from a distance, they actually help improve team coordination and communication.
• Loneliness and isolation - Going to the office every morning adds a structure and routine to people’s lives. In an office, you spend time with people around you and even talk to employees working in other departments as you take the elevator, grab a cup of coffee, or sit down for lunch.

Work From Anywhere (WFA) - Inside Spotify

Spotify is the world's most popular audio streaming subscription service with more than 626 million users, including 246 million subscribers in more than 180 countries. In the year 2021, WFA was initiated by Spotify. They strongly believe that work is not a place you go, it's something you do. 

As per the article on Spotify HR Blog (Lundstrom, et al., 2023) on the heading of "WFA: An Evolution", they know that they need to create a great office vibe and culture, regardless of who is and isn't there. Spotify embrace and support employees choice to work wither mostly at home or from one its offices, with the understanding that each will bring a different experience. This makes the workplace more diverse and allow to flex with the employees as their lives and ambitions change.

To mitigate the setbacks, Spotify make sure everyone contribute, communicate and collaborate on equal terms regardless of where they work from. Valuing involvement and engagement, regular check-ins as a team to actively input value additions in the wider Spotify community (Spotify, n.d.).

Is working remotely effective? 

While there are some clear advantages and disadvantages to remote work, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. Moreover, organizations can easily avoid all the disadvantages by establishing the right remote working strategies and equipping the employees with the tools that can help them stay productive and efficient even while working from home (Ozimek, 2020). 

Conclusion 

Covid-19 brought uncertainty and tragedy across the globe and has forced the economy to undergo a massive experiment. The remote work trend is expected accelerate even more rapidly. With that change, workers will embrace the benefits of no commutes, fewer meetings, and increased productivity. The shift to more remote work could also eliminate many of the challenges that come with having a traditional, in-office workspace. In the perspective of companies, it remove geographical barriers to hiring, so they can find the best talent regardless of location. 

Bibliography

Klopotek, M., 2017. THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF REMOTE WORKING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF YOUNG EMPLOYEES. In: s.l.:Organizacja i Zarządzanie: kwartalnik naukowy, pp. 39-49.

Lundstrom, A., Westerdahl, A. & Simmonds , S., 2023. HR Blog Spotify. [Online]
Available at: https://hrblog.spotify.com/2023/09/20/work-from-anywhere-an-evolution
[Accessed 12 08 2024].

Olson, M. H., 1983. Remote office work: changing work patterns in space and time. 26.3 ed. s.l.:Communications of the ACM.

Ozimek, A., 2020. The Future of Remote Work. s.l.:s.n.

Spotify, n.d. Life at spotify. [Online]
Available at: https://www.lifeatspotify.com/being-here/work-from-anywhere
[Accessed 12 08 2024].

Zalega , T., 2002. Rynek pracy w epoce cywilizacji informacyjnej. s.l.:s.n.