The past few years has seen many businesses shift to a remote working setup. Whether or not this was planned or forced upon them by the covid pandemic, regardless, we have seen an increasing number of people working remotely. Now, this has its pros and cons for both the employee and the employer. The saying “the grass is always greener on the other side” is especially relevant, as for many years there has been a push from many workers to have the option of working from home, but it isn’t until they finally got what they wanted that they realised it wasn’t as expected. Below we look at some of the pros and cons of working in a physical workplace, from an employees perspective.
Pros
1) They don’t have to pay for utilities
Heating, airconditioning, internet – just general electricity usage – this is none of the employee’s concern. They just turn up to work and expect everything to be running smoothly and perhaps rightly so. Working from home will require employees to have all the aforementioned utilities – if they want to work comfortably – and usually at their own cost.
2) Better socialising and communication
It is much easier to socialise and develop relationships with colleagues and clients in person and in a work environment, face-to-face, rather than remotely. A physical workplace allows for this and can help better develop a company’s work culture. In-person communication is often more efficient than online – meetings almost always produce better results when done in person. Workplaces tend to have meeting room booking systems in place that work much better in physical offices than virtual offices.
3) You can better separate your work and personal life
It is much easier to disconnect from work when you are not there physically, however, if you work where you live, it can be more difficult. Working in your bedroom, a place that should be one of rest and solace may be disruptive. Travelling to work can also help to give you a good routine to follow.
Cons
1) Travel time and cost
Travelling to and from work can take a couple of hours out of your day that could be better spent on other activities. It can also be quite expensive with the costs accumulated over the years. Working at a physical workplace for many can be a two-hour commute per day with a transport bill of a couple of hundred pounds per month. It can be expensive to work at a physical workplace compared to at home.
2) Distractions
It can be quite distracting working in a busy workplace, especially if your colleagues are the talkative type. This can make being efficient and working in general, be difficult. Having your boss breathing down your neck can also hinder people’s ability to work effectively.
