Many people have had to resort to remote work during the coronavirus epidemic. Just days ago, Google and Apple made headlines for ordering their employees to work remotely. But you can now say the same thing about many other companies.
This style of work is growing regardless of what you think. Remote working is already a growing trend – more than doubling since 2005, to 4.7 million US workers, for instance. The transition is seamless and easy if you believe the most recent headlines.
However, the march to this utopian future has yet to be smooth. IBM decided to abandon remote work several years ago, as it was hindering innovation and collaboration. I just published research that highlights additional difficulties and challenges. Remote working can burden your life if you don’t do it correctly.
Pros & cons
Academics and media are divided when it comes to remote work. The pro-camp talks about reducing commutes, improving quality family time and productivity, and having a better work/life balance. Skeptics reply that flexibility is a price. They warn of losing community, nuance, and social interaction – and possibly becoming less productive. When we need certainty, these messages can be confusing.
As an anthropologist, I spent four years researching the adaptations of people to become remote workers called digital nomads. These workers travel from one country to another, working online. More than 50 of these workers were employed in various jobs, including graphic design, computer coding, and online marketing.
Over 25% of my participants found remote work too lonely after the initial honeymoon period. One said, “Some people aren’t naturally motivated, and there is no end to self-help books that will change that.”
The coworking area was one solution. It created a sense of community and face-to-face interaction, and a sense of community. But it was more important to be around other workers. Academic jargon is a copresence. Remote employees in eCommerce explain that “just being around other people working turbocharges your day.”
This sentiment is entirely mine. This article was written in a coworking space. Just being around other people typing creates an effortless feeling of productivity.
But things are changing quickly. For a time, coworking spaces won’t be an option. Instead, House shares will be able to recreate the same environment at their homes. You can use different types of coworking space etiquette at home. For example, you can have quiet areas to focus your work and separate regions for voice and video calls.
Digital Discipline
A disciplined work environment is essential if you want to be close to others. My research participants found this to be the critical ingredient to sustaining remote work – regardless of whether it was self-imposed or externally set by deadlines.
My partic should have been discussed in the beginning. They were initially productive after a while because of the remote work. After a while, however, motivation began to become problematic. As a result, some participants quit this lifestyle.
People who thrive are more disciplined. They ensured they got to work every day and kept their phones and social media off their hands. Many established rituals. One graphic designer intentionally chose to work in a space 15 minutes from their home to “mentally prepare for work” and then to relax before heading home.
Surprisingly, this worker had not only left one office to take over another but was also commuting daily. Coworking spaces in Dha may be outlawed, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have similar rituals. You can still walk to the start and end of your working day and create a clear separation between your home life and work life.
Always available
While digital technology can allow people to work remotely, it can also cause unexpected problems. My participants expressed a growing expectation of being available 24/7. This is similar to other studies.
Remote working will likely make this an even more severe problem for all workers. The 24/7 work culture we have today didn’t develop overnight or through coercive management. The perception of work and non-work gradually dissolved over time. Few people were even paying attention.
Judy Wajcman, a sociologist, argues that this mentality is even restructuring how we think about time. Silicon Valley creates apps and devices encourage us to be productive and disciplined. You can now timebox how we exercise, read, and watch TV to work.
Some remote workers have experienced burnout and mental health problems because of this culture. Sam, an interviewee, explained his feelings about burnout.
I saw the value of having free time once I started scheduling four-hour meetings in my ‘downtime’ diary. It was insane. I think back to this time in my life and wonder how it took so long for me to burn out.
