What is remote work?
In case you are a little confused by the different terms used to describe working remotely, you’re not alone
Generally speaking, ‘remote work’ and terms such as ‘working from home’, ‘telecommuting’ and ‘telework’, ‘flexible workplace’ and ‘mobile work’ etc., are all rather synonymous.
There is a slight difference between them, however. Remote work implies that the employee works outside of the geographic area of the company’s premises. Telecommuting and telework can mean that on some occasions the employee may work on-site as well. Also, these days not all work performed at a distance is done from home literally as people may opt to work from a coworking space or could even sit with a laptop at a coffee shop or in an airport lounge for instance. Therefore, ‘work from home’ as a common phrase may not always be absolutely accurate in terms of describing the location where people work and rather take the meaning of ‘work from anywhere’.
At AVALON, we started working remotely since well before the world encountered COVID-19 as we are aware that remote work / working from anywhere is more than just a trend or a temporary fix to the current coronavirus pandemic: Remote work provides the flexibility which is a core part of the 21st-century workplace and is going to become the new mainstream. Remote companies and remote working are the “future normal”.
Almost 40 years since the Internet was born, we’ve learned to develop a completely new world. One of the more recent developments that have emerged from this connected community is the way our societies have learned to find new opportunities in distributed form.
Remote work has been inching forward for years as it has capitalised on our ability to connect digitally, while people began to open their minds to the distributed workforce. It has triggered a “remote revolution” process, and entire industries have been built from this. It seems hard to believe that even just a few decades ago, this style of working and living simply was not available.
Increasingly, technology transforms the way we work. Cloud services, mobile platforms, video-conferencing, screen-sharing, intranets and chat apps have made remote work feasible and very acceptable to both employees and employers.
Is remote work for you?
Whether it’s increasing commuting costs, the ability to control one’s time, or the freedom to pursue their passion, more companies and people now than ever are creating opportunities for working remotely.
In fact, remote work has never been as popular as it is today – and its popularity is only growing.
The concept of working from anywhere and the freedom that it brings are quite appealing, and yet as with everything in life, there are some drawbacks too.
The pros of remote work
- Flexibility – work from anywhere and anytime
- Time savings – as daily commute becomes obsolete
- Cost savings – less work-related expenses
- Increased productivity – none of the distractions of the office workplace
- Improved work/life balance
The cons of remote work
- Total dependency on technology – you need a strong internet connection with reliable, fast and safe broadband; smartphone, laptop, scanner, printer, etc.; also you must keep up with technology that evolves all so rapidly
- Cybersecurity is your own responsibility
- Risk of isolation, working on your own
- Need for high self-discipline and self-organisation
- Lack of workplace social life
- Risk of blurred lines between work life and home/private life
For most people, the advantages of remote work far outweigh the disadvantages. Thanks to powerful technology now available to nearly everyone, and propelled by the influx of millions of Millennials into the workforce, remote work will undoubtedly become even more widespread in the years to come. With a remote work position at AVALON, you have the exciting opportunity to participate in this future.
You don’t necessarily need a complete home office to be successful when it comes to working remotely, but home is a place that is well known for harbouring many distractions, such as television, video games, family members, pets, snacks, and so on. For this reason you should ensure a dedicated area or room where nobody will disturb you (and ideally, where there’s a door you can shut!). After all, you will still want to work like a professional and achieve adequate results.
The workplace is shifting, as it has many times prior, in order to accommodate the new opportunities that we as humans have made available through the Internet and its connected communities.
If you come to the conclusion that remote work is right for you, we invite you to check if we have an opportunity for you as we develop.
Aim to put yourself in a more abundant future!
