Telecommuting and Remote Working: What You Need to Know

As the number of COVID-19 cases started to fall, the world moved to gradually ease the lockdown restrictions. However, and even with things going back to “normal’, remote working is here to stay. Twitter, Google, and several other large tech companies have already told employees to keep working from home, not only until the end of 2020 but even beyond. But the thing is that working remotely is not just about sitting at home in front of a computer and carrying on with the work that employees used to do in the office. Beyond physical distance, it presents real challenges that affect an employee’s performance as much as their life, personal balance, and wellbeing.

Benefits of telecommuting for the employee

A better lifestyle:

Teleworkers are known to be less stressed. Saving time commuting between home and work allows the employee to be more efficient and more productive. What's more, working from home makes it easier to manage everyday life. Thanks to this added flexibility, they are able to devote more time to their families and their passions. This allows them to have a more peaceful and stress-free lifestyle and a better work/life balance which can lead to greater satisfaction and well-being.

A feeling of freedom:

In addition to the stress-free environment, teleworking inspires a real feeling of freedom. As long as the job is done, everything goes according to plan. The teleworker can allow himself to sleep one or two hours more, sit comfortably in front of his computer, and prepare for a nice day “at work”. He can be autonomous and productive at the same time. Even better, he is not distracted by his colleagues. This kind of environment leads to good professional performance and gives a real feeling of freedom, without an overload of activity. Employees are free to determine their work schedules and set up their work plan.

Challenges of telecommuting for the employee

A feeling of isolation:

The employee working from home suffers some drawbacks if he does not find a proper balance. The biggest disadvantage of being teleworked is the lack of interaction. Isolation, lack of confidence, and loss of interest can easily invade the daily lives of teleworkers. Working from home, teleworkers have less contact with colleagues and do not necessarily find the point of communicating with others and quickly get used to this routine. The possibility of acquiring a promotion seems difficult, even if it is not really the case.

More discipline is required:

At the very beginning, the employee shows a particular attention to his work; a strict schedule with start, end, and break times. Once accustomed to this routine, the teleworker eventually feels exhausted and bored and no longer respects his own schedule. This unfortunately affects productivity and wastes time for both parties, the employee and the employer.

Benefits of telecommuting for the employer

Substantial savings:

Teleworkers are not the only ones to benefit from working from home. For businesses, allowing employees to telecommute saves them money. No need to pay rent, maintenance fees, and transportation allowances. And as for productivity increases, the rate of absenteeism is seen to be completely reduced. Exchanges between colleagues are richer and the causes of distractions such as phone calls and chatter are basically non-existent.

Global reach:

Teleworking gives businesses access to a bigger talent pool thanks to the global reach available for the HR, which in turn enriches the business with multicultural experiences while allowing for business continuity.

Challenges of telecommuting for the employer

Difficult supervision:

Since all communications are generally made via the Internet, the employer finds himself in a delicate situation, where he cannot properly monitor his employees and report on their performance. Unable to verify if the employee is actually working or if he has problems completing his tasks, staff performance is overlooked. Since communications are scarce, it is almost impossible to keep an eye on everything at the same time.

Issues of trust and motivation:

Since the employee is working solo and team spirit is practically absent, the manager will have to provide regular motivational sessions. Moreover, managers will be forced to trust their employees more and resist the urge or tendency to micromanage.

For the environment, it’s nothing but benefits!

Teleworking limits commuting and CO2 emissions, and therefore air and noise pollution in the cities and congested areas.  It also helps save energy consumption of company buildings and offices:  no need to turn on the lights and heating/cooling or the use of electronic devices.

With this being said, remote work also presents real security challenges for all stakeholders.

So how do you stay safe when working remotely?

Tips for employees:

• Make sure your Wi-Fi connection is secure.
• Make sure the anti-virus is in place and updated and check that all security software is up to date.
• Have a backup strategy and don't forget to implement it.
• Lock your screen if you are working in a shared space.
• Check if you have installed encryption tools.
• Safeguard physical documents (Paper documents that you are working on, for example).

Tips for employers:

• Inform the staff on how to react in the event of a problem.
• Prioritize support for remote access solutions.
• Provide virtual solutions (like the use of electronic signatures for instance).
• Provide adequate assistance in case of problems.
• Define a clear procedure to follow in the event of a security incident.
• Consider restricting access to sensitive systems.

Teleworking offers many advantages for businesses as well as for employees. With the proper system and proper collaboration between all stakeholders, it can be a definite win-win!