If you’d asked workers towards the end of 2021 then most would have told you that they thought long term working from home would have been something here to stay. However, now that Coronavirus restrictions have been lifted throughout England for a good number of weeks, the picture is starting to look slightly different.
Choosing To Work From Home
There are plenty of companies that offer working from home opportunities as standard, for example, it is something that online bank Monzo has done since before the pandemic and they don’t show any signs of this stopping anytime soon. However, as much as working from home might sound like a dream to many, it is something that takes a shift in mindset which means it isn’t for everyone.
For example, it is easy to assume that working from home gives you more freedom, but realistically if you’re employed by someone then you still have the same restraints, the same need to be at your desk at a set time etc. However, you get to do all of that without a long commute before and after work, which for many is a massive benefit.
We know that during the pandemic many people were given no option but to work from home and with everyone in the same boat it may have felt more manageable, but long term it is worth considering the fact that working at home generally means working alone. Whilst this can seem great it means missing out on workplace banter and you may even find yourself missing hearing any work gossip too! Of course, we’re all much more used to things like Zoom meetings which does make keeping in touch with the workplace much easier.
Can Working From Home Work Long Term?
The quick answer is yes, working from home can absolutely work long term – but it has to be something everyone is invested in. For example, workers need to be committed to doing their work without someone necessarily looking over their shoulder the whole time; for most, not a problem but if you’re a worker who performs better with more hands-on supervision then working in an office might be the better option.
Last year YouGov conducted a survey surrounding work from home. Of the 1,684 people asked, over 70% believed that office workers would not return to the office in the same way as before. In fact, despite the pandemic being officially over and restrictions lifted, most people believe that we’ll all be affected in some way and that many aspects of life won’t go back to how they once were – and that doesn’t have to be a bad thing! Lots of companies saw a shift to people using their online services rather than visiting land-based venues, and this in itself could open the doors for more work from home opportunities, because fewer people are needed to be work buildings to greet customers.
Are There Any Viable Alternatives?
When it comes to working, most believe that where possible there will be a hybrid of working from home and going into the office roles. For example, you might attend the office once a week or perhaps when there is an important meeting where your attendance is vital. For a large part, these will likely be a majority work from home role with travel to the land-based office when required – or even perhaps when an employee feels like they need some extra support or just fancy a day in the office with work colleagues. Some of these roles will have no hard and fast rules but work on a basis of as and when depending on when different scenarios are needed. Although this does open up long term work from home prospects for many, it is worth remembering that with a need to travel into the office on occasion you may have the odd day when your commute is more than just heading upstairs to your home office.
The Industries Embracing Work From Home
It stands to reason that not all jobs are able to be done from home and as such not everyone will be given the same opportunities. However, industries such as customer service, finance, digital and even those involved in online entertainment have been the ones most keen (and able) to make working from homework so far. As such, a lot of digital and online-based businesses still have part/full-time work from home options – for example, those who run affiliate sites like the best online casinos can do a lot of work from home and there is not such an emphasis on office-based work – this also applies to other digital sectors such as online banking and customer service via email, live chat and the telephone. One great thing about using remote workers is that if there is no requirement to attend the office then employers can recruit from anywhere in the country or indeed the world, which means that when it comes to recruiting the best talent for the job they’re not relying on finding someone that is within a commutable distance to the office and that opens up the opportunities when it comes to finding someone greatly.
Do Employers Want a Return To The Office?
You’ll find plenty of employers sitting on the fence when it comes to answering whether they want their employees to return to the office. For many, the answer will depend on which employee and to do which tasks, as working remotely definitely takes an element of trust which not all line managers will feel they have across the board. The truth is that what is most likely is a shift in working so that jobs that are able to, can offer a mixture of home working and a requirement to come into the office. We’ll likely see how this pans out throughout the rest of 2022, where both parties are getting used to this new way of working before companies decide whether this is something they wish to roll out long term.
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