The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed the American workplace for good with the normalization of working from home for many employees across the nation working in a variety of industries. From kindergarten teachers to tattoo artists at Certified Tattoo Studios, just about every adult in the workplace had to find a way to work from home – while some only worked remotely for a few months, some are still working from the comfort of their own home today. While working from home might have sounded like a dream to many employees before the reality of the pandemic hit, it is hard to deny now that doing so comes along with its own set of downsides that have led many to miss working from the offices they once dreaded going to.
No matter where you stand on the issue, working from home is likely to be a reality for many employees for years to come. Here are some of the major pros and cons of working remotely.
PROS:
- No Dress Code
For those who really hate the strict dress code enforced in many professional workplaces around the nation, the ability to potentially work in their pajamas is a huge pro.
- Stronger Work-Life Balance
Being able to spend more time around the home, accomplishing chores and spending time with loved ones, has made work much more enjoyable for employees across the country, including busy parents who otherwise struggled to maintain a strong balance between their professional and personal lives.
- Flexible Schedule
Many workplaces allowed employees working remotely to do a great deal of work asynchronously, on their own terms outside of normal office hours.
CONS:
- Lack of Productivity
While working from home helps some employees to be more productive, others reported that doing so led to a decrease in productivity as not physically being in the office lead some employees to having a difficult time getting into the mindset to work, thus accomplishing less throughout each day.
- Limited Social Interaction
Working remotely can often be an isolating experience, cutting down on a majority of the time that many working adults spend socializing each day.
- High Stakes Technical Difficulties
When working remotely, employees are completely reliant on the technology that is in front of them, meaning that even the smallest technical difficulties now have the potential to ruin an entire workday and halt all productivity or communication throughout the office.
