04 May Embracing the New Reality of Remote Working

Work from home if you can. For years, it has been predicted that the future of work will be remote – the dream scenario of the global nomad who needs nothing more than a passport, a laptop, and good WiFi.

The reality is that many employers have been reluctant to offer home working. Perhaps they have felt their processes do not support remote working, perhaps there has been a trust issue, or maybe it is as simple as “the office id the thing – we’ve always done it this way”.

And yet, in response to the current climate, isn’t it remarkable how quickly we all adapted where it was possible to do so?

Setting aside the fact that this shift was born out of necessity, and implementation may not have been as robust and cog instant of Health and Safety procedures as we would have eked, the longer-term benefits of remote working can be tangible. This would include fewer polluting commutes, less downtime as people travel to face to face meetings, and a better work/life balance. Study after study shows employees are more productive where they have control over their working environment and where possible, how they allocate time and prioritisation to their work, resulting in improved business performance and more highly engage employees.

We may not be able to use our passports for a while, and any nomadic dreams will have to stay on hold for the time being, but perhaps the idea of the traditional 9-5 in a city centre office with and hour commute either way will become a thing of the past.

Are you ready to embrace the new reality?