What is Remote Working
Remote working is the ability to work from home, and it’s different, not the same, as working from home. You can work from home if you like, and most people do. But remote working is a choice about the amount of time you are willing to devote to commuting.
It is a choice about where you live. Some people find living in a small town or rural area and commuting to the city onerous. Others don’t mind it. Some people like to live close to work, and others like to live further out so they don’t have to deal with the commute every day.
Remote working is a choice about what kind of work. Some people find that remote working gives them more time to think, or allows them to learn a new skill, or gives them more time with their family, or allows them to work in new kinds of environments. Others find that remote working makes their commute longer and makes it harder to get work done.
Remote Work And Working from Home
Let’s start by understanding the difference between remote work and working from home.
Working remotely means that you work on projects with other people, sometimes in different cities and sometimes in different countries, and you don’t work for anyone in particular.
Working from home means that you work for yourself, sometimes in a different city and sometimes in different countries, and you don’t work for anyone in particular.
Remote work is great for freelancers and consultants. Freelancers don’t have bosses to report to or projects to finish, so they don’t have to ask permission to leave. Consultants are hired to work on projects, and they can stop working on them whenever they wish.
Working from home is great for people such as writers, designers, photographers, software programmers,
Using technology to work remotely has become an increasingly popular way of earning a living. But working remotely is not the same thing as working from home. We can tell the difference because remote workers tend to work longer hours — even work through the night — than people who work at home.
So if you wish to work remotely, you first have to decide what kind of work you want to do. Then you must accept that the work will be harder than work at home, for two reasons: (1) because you will be working alone and won’t be dealing with other people’s distractions; and (2) because you’ll be working longer hours.
Working from home comes with its problems, too. As anyone who has ever had to discipline their children knows, discipline is easier when other people are around. Also, working from home can make you lonely.
Working remotely is hard work, but it is better than working from an office — usually. So if you want to be a remote worker, you should: (1) be self-motivated; (2) be willing to be disciplined; (3) practice what I call “remote work discipline”; (4) work longer hours than people who work from an office; and (5) occasionally go to an office.
Benefits of Remote Working
- Remote Work is gaining momentum. It’s already having a big effect on office jobs. As computers and communications become more pervasive, work will be done from increasingly different locations.
- Remote Work has advantages for workers. It makes work easier. You can work at home, for example, and work during the day and attend child’s school functions in the evening. Or you can go to an office near home, because you can leave early to pick up children, drive them to soccer practice, or run errands.
- Telecommuting provides other advantages for companies. It is cheaper, for example, than paying for office space for everyone to work. It reduces productivity and increases absenteeism. And it reduces stress.
- But remote Work also poses problems. For one thing, companies need to train people to work remotely. They also need to manage their far-flung employees. Setting up a communications network is expensive. Companies also need to maintain it. And remote workers don’t always make as smart decisions as office workers do.
- With the Internet, remote Work is possible. But it is also dangerous. It is worrisome to entrust work that can be done from almost anywhere to increasingly few people. It is worrisome to entrust work to remote workers who may increasingly be insulated from the consequences of their mistakes. It isn’t clear, for example, that remote workers will have the skills necessary to manage a complex network.
Think Remote
Thinkremote writers are a small, all-female team. We provide the world with quality, timely news and information that empowers professionals and remote workers.
Through their online platform, they connect clients with a female-majority team of writers and deliver timely and quality content around the web and beyond. Working from home means that you work for yourself, sometimes in a different city and sometimes in different countries, and you don’t work for anyone in particular.
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