The ups and downs of working remotely

Welcome to Sunday Morning Coffee! It’s a beautiful fall morning, and here in the mid-Atlantic, fall foliage is at its peak. I traveled to Vermont this week, where fall leaf peeping has passed, but snow was on the menu. We had enough up in the mountains to build a small snowman and play until we were too cold to make a snow ball. First snow of the season, and it was magical. One of the big advantages of working remotely and for myself is that I can do things like drive to Vermont for the week. I took my daughter and granddaughters, and as we were put-putting about the small town thirty minutes down the mountain from our air bnb, I considered how lucky I am to have this work and this life and the flexibility to spend time with my family and still make a living. That’s probably the biggest advantage of working remotely.

We have the pandemic to thank for normalizing remote work. It’s stuck around in some form or another (aka hybrid remote work) since the world re-opened. In a conversation with friends working for the federal government, I was intrigued to hear that some offices are going back to in-person work at a higher number of days per week than existed pre-pandemic. When I moved to DC to work for the federal government from Texas government, I was shocked that people could work from home up to three days a week if approved. There was none of that where I came from. And I’m a bit shocked, honestly, that now, post-pandemic, some employers are cutting back on remote work beyond their norm to increase the days everyone has to be in the office. Is productivity down? Are cities suffering economically as businesses close their physical offices? Why the sudden shift? It’s something I wanted to look at. Another reason I was interested in this topic is that as we help justice impacted people or young graduates look for employment, remote work offers some definite advantages, but I see some down-sides for them too. Here’s what my research this week (both online and anecdotally from folks I work with) has gleaned:

Advantages of Remote Work

Flexibility: (we already covered this one, but here it is more formally: Remote work provides employees with greater flexibility in managing their work schedules. This can lead to improved work-life balance, allowing individuals to better juggle personal and professional commitments.

Increased Productivity: Many employees report increased productivity when working remotely, as they can create a personalized and comfortable work environment without the distractions of an office. This is one of my favorite things about working remotely. I can start a project, say writing a blog or a curriculum, and I can dive in and come up for air when I’m finished or when I want to take a break. In the office, I was lucky to get ten minutes without interruption. (disclaimer, just to be 100% transparent: I do have to set some ground rules around here because when you live with five other people and a host of critters, interruptions can be worse than the office. It’s just that my family honors those boundaries more than a building of a couple of thousand people who ‘needed’ me).

Cost Savings: Both employers and employees can benefit from cost savings associated with remote work. Employees save on commuting costs, and employers can reduce expenses related to office space, utilities, and other facilities.

Access to a Global Talent Pool: Remote work allows companies to tap into a broader talent pool since they aren’t limited to hiring individuals who live in close proximity to a physical office. This can result in a more diverse and skilled workforce and is pretty huge for employers AND employees.

Reduced Commute Stress: Eliminating the need for a daily commute can significantly reduce stress and contribute to better mental well-being for employees. A friend of mine has a two and a half hours commute ONE WAY to get to her job, and now that her employer is thinking of increasing the number of in-person days at the office, she’s truly considering leaving. The thought of doing that again is just too much after three years of having that time to spend with her family or on her own physical and mental well-being.

Environmental Impact: With fewer people commuting to a physical office, there’s a potential reduction in carbon emissions and overall environmental impact. I can’t imagine the traffic around the greater DC area if everyone goes back to work in-person five days a week. What a nightmare for all of us.

Improved Work-Life Balance: Remote work can contribute to a better work-life balance, enabling employees to better manage personal and family responsibilities without sacrificing their professional commitments. This is a big one, to my way of thinking.

Customized Work Environment: Employees can create a personalized work environment that suits their preferences and needs, potentially leading to increased job satisfaction. In one story I watched, employees cited being able to control the temperature where they work was one of the biggest advantages of remote work. Lol! It’s true, though, if you think about it. Working in comfy clothes is another huge advantage in the this category.

As one of my mentors says, though, “What makes you laugh will also make you cry.” Here are some of the downs of remote work that I uncovered…

Disadvantages of Remote Work:

Isolation and Loneliness: Working remotely can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness, as employees miss out on the social interactions and camaraderie that come with working in a physical office.

Communication Challenges: Remote work relies heavily on digital communication tools, which may not always be as effective as face-to-face communication. Misunderstandings can occur, and building relationships may be more challenging.

Lack of Work-Life Boundaries: With no clear separation between home and work, some individuals may struggle to establish clear boundaries, leading to potential burnout and difficulty "switching off" from work.

Technology Issues: Dependence on technology for remote work means that technical issues, such as internet outages or software problems, can disrupt productivity.

Security Concerns: Remote work introduces additional cybersecurity challenges, as employees access company data from various locations. Ensuring the security of sensitive information becomes more complex.

Difficulty in Monitoring and Supervision: Some managers may find it challenging to monitor and supervise remote employees, leading to concerns about accountability and productivity. It may also be hard for employees who need assistance to get the help they need in a timely way.

Limited Collaboration and Innovation: Spontaneous collaboration and innovative brainstorming sessions that often occur in physical offices can be harder to replicate in a remote work setup.

Inequity in Access: Not all employees may have equal access to a conducive remote work environment, including a quiet space, high-speed internet, and necessary technology. This can contribute to inequality among team members. We see this as a serious disadvantage for the folks we work with. For some of them, just finding a place in their home to have a confidential, professional virtual meeting is impossible.

Lack of Opportunities for Mentorship: I see this particularly in our young employees and justice-impacted participants. Because they may struggle with all of the items on this list, not having a mentor who is present and teaching OTJ skills and providing support, failure can come quickly. This is also important for veteran staff, I think. Part of our purpose in life should be to mentor the generations coming after us. With everyone working in isolation, we lose this benefit.

Diminishing Soft Skills: I see this more and more, and for people entering the workforce for the first time or after an extended absence, soft skills are already difficult. The more we’re isolated from working and collaborating in real time with others, the less we get to practice professional etiquette and team work and all the other skills we use in-person.

It's important to note that the advantages and disadvantages of remote work can vary depending on individual preferences, job roles, and the specific policies and technologies implemented by a company. Hybrid work models, combining elements of remote and in-person work, are the best option, in my opinion, to address some of the challenges associated with full-time remote work and full-time in-person work. I work for myself, and when I have weeks of no in-person meetings or workshops or speaking events lined up, I schedule something…a coffee meeting, a site visit, a lecture to attend…anything that gets me out and collaborating with others IRL. Otherwise, it can get pretty isolating, and let’s face it…most of what we’ve learned in our lives and my professions has been only partly about reading and researching and mostly about actually DOING, and doing with others.

It takes a village. Even when you’re all grown up. :)

If you want to chat or need me for anything listed on my website or maybe something you’ve thought of that I haven’t, you can contact me here. You can also check out the work my nonprofit does with justice-impacted individuals at our Hand2Heart DC website as well.

I hope you’re facing a lovely, inspiring week ahead of you. Cheers to you and how you’re changing the world!