WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES OF WORKING FROM HOME?
Introduction
Telecommuting has ceased to be a privilege enjoyed by freelancers. The coronavirus pandemic brought fresh interest in remote work and turned it into the new normal. Employees who hate their ancient morning commute can now function professionally from the comfort of their homes. But this dream-come-true situation hasn’t arrived without a bunch of challenges. Telecommuting offers certain advantages as well as difficulties associated with this remote office arrangement. Although, these obstacles have convenient solutions the implementation of which allow you to enhance your work-from-home productivity. So, let’s discuss some of the most-experienced challenges of remote work.
Challenges of working remotely
1.
Security issues:-
Security concerns increase with enhanced telecommuting options. How does the company know that its sensitive information is safe with employees working from home? These remote workers can be functioning from anywhere, not necessarily from a permanent residence. What if they log in from an internet café? This bolstered freedom can undermine the security of the company’s confidential data and might open the pathways for hacking soon.
Employees must be aware of all the security implications of telecommuting. They should learn the dangers of data leakages and security breaches. The company can teach its employees how to overcome and mitigate the security concerns of remote work. Cybersecurity tips for remote workers can also help in such cases. Assure the workers that the company doesn’t plan to spy on their private info. Issue anti-virus licenses where needed. And:
· No clicking on suspicious emails while working from home
· Creating and managing strong passwords to avoid hacking
· Uploading the information and downloading it verified by the anti-virus
2.
Telecommuting
policy:-
Related to security concerns, both the company and its staff face this challenge regarding telecommuting. Each company must have a WFH (Work From Home) policy by the next year. Since this pandemic is far from over even by the first quarter of 2021. If you have established such a policy, bully for you! If you haven’t drafted one yet, it’s now to consider creating a WFH policy and implement it soon. But how to create a well-written WFH policy for 2021?
Your company can employ a professional US agency to write some high-quality content for the WFH policy. This document will grant several rights to your workers, enabling them to be more productive. It’ll serve as a set of guidelines, outlining these principles of working distantly:
· The expectation of the employer
· The responsibilities of the employees
· The eligibility criteria to work from home
· The process of asking for telecommuting privileges
· The procedure to investigate and approve these privileges
3.
Health concerns:-
Your company’s security concerns aren’t a priority over your health problems. Remote work can compel you to overlook your routine and dietary habits. You may become disinterested in maintaining your mental and physical well-being. One may very well forget the boundary between work life and private life. Some remote workers unintentionally prioritize their professional responsibilities over personal ones. This dedication can be unhealthy sometimes.
Such passion, though appreciated, can sometimes become toxic. You need to manage your office life while not letting it dawn over your privacy. Be constantly aware of your health requirements. You need to switch off after the work time is over and unplug from that virtual office in your brain. In some companies, colleagues call each other to remind them of the daytime being concluded. The best trick to unplug is to avoid procrastinating and accomplish your daily tasks on time.
4.
Not so productive:-
Generally speaking, teleworkers are more productive. But, in certain cases, a few remote employees might feel their productivity worsening and efficiency getting constantly undermined. Several tech companies find it difficult to control and supervise their workers when they’re working off-site. Some workers misuse this opportunity and start slacking off “at home”. How to keep a watchful eye over the workers without being geographically present with them? Here’s the trick:
·
Jina
·
Asana
·
Trello
You can find these software programs online to help you track your staff’s work progress. These platforms also keep a record of all the tasks that have been finished and deadlines that are due. In turn, employees can see whatever tasks others are performing. So, these programs allow a team to function effectively without delay. Likewise, RescueTime enables team members to account for all the wasted time. Thus, it permits them to discover operations undermining productivity.
5.
Isolation:-
Isolation and failure to unplug after work are two of the hardest challenges teleworkers face. Many remote employees don’t feel as connected to their colleagues as they used to feel on-site. The off-site functioning of office workers kindles a sense of isolation from their work buddies. They miss those office gossips, much-awaited coffee breaks, and frequent water cooler talks. Man is a social animal and a lack of “society” around an employee makes him/her lonely.
Social isolation can harm your health by affecting your mood, behavior, sleep pattern, and even cognitive ability. This feeling they call the “cabin fever[1]” can distract you from your professional responsibilities. A sudden infringement from your “work society” can be disastrous for your productivity and efficiency. That’s why it’s necessary to find ways to revive that human touch you’ve lost due to this recent quarantine. Here’s what one can do:
· Consider using instant messaging apps instead of relying on email services.
· Find your office friends on social media platforms to keep interacting with them.
· Use video-conferencing tools such as Zoom and video-call to talk to familiar faces.
6.
Can’t focus?
Working from home isn’t always the paradise you’ve imagined. It can be distracting as there are several distractions in your house. You might’ve seen the video of that child interrupting dad’s interview with BBC. You might have also watched humorous videos termed as “Zoom call failures”. The entire house can make you lose focus on your work and stop you from unleashing your full efficiency. Nevertheless, a few simple tricks also help to manage this problem.
Try mimicking your office routine even while you’re telecommuting. But, instead of driving back and forth to the office, stay at home and work remotely. Schedule your work time and breaks to help you retain your focus. Abandon your social media addiction when you’re working. Make sure to lock the room to avoid children messing up your work station. Procrastination is a common interruption so stay focused on the job. Moreover, turn off your smartphone if it’s a distraction.
7.
Work-life balance:-
Overworking and miscommunication are some of the most common difficulties associated with telecommuting. Why do people overwork? We can assume there are two basic reasons for that. Firstly, when employees procrastinate, they have to finish their tasks in private time. Secondly, when your boss thinks you’re not industrious enough, people work harder to appear more productive. These issues make you feel as if you’re working 24/7.
Telecommuting appears to provide a flexible work routine. But, with more flexibility, come greater challenges. Therefore, use software programs such as Slack or StatusHero to manage your work-life balance. These programs prevent work people from disturbing you after the workday is over. Don’t let your professional responsibilities exhaust you or deprive you of a private life’s bliss. Set your availability status and organize your day with alarms and schedules.
8.
Miscommunication:-
An efficient team always plays together. But what about a virtual team that telecommutes? Some office environments have been
disturbed after the quarantine was imposed. Certain employees find
communication to be a major barrier to their productivity. Sometimes, a simple yes or no question takes hours to be answered. Face-to-face requests are 30+ times more successful than mere emails. But telecommuting has severely reduced the
need for humane conversations.
Nevertheless, using the right communication tools is a simple solution for this obstacle. Your team can engage in remote activities to strengthen mutual bonding. Adopting quick messaging platforms can help employees respond immediately to queries. You can leave your camera on to make sure your bosses can watch you work. Use Zoom and Skype to accessible to team members during your workday. These few solutions can enhance your team’s mutual connectivity.
9.
Technical
obstacles:-
You’re working from home and the router gives up. Now this unreliable technology weakens your productivity. Use the correct technology that supports strong connectivity. Work from locations where phone signals aren’t lousy. Still, some employees work from areas where internet speeds don’t meet the required office standards. A few companies want their workers to supply their devices on their own. These problems stop them from delivering their tasks on time.s
A company is responsible for giving its employees the required technology. Workers should take their office laptops home to continue working during a lockdown. Similarly, the company data must be uploaded on the cloud to make it universally available to the team members. Screen-sharing apps such as TeamViewer help your workers communicate when having technical glitches. Furthermore, provide them software licenses or subscriptions they need.
Conclusion
Working remotely has become a popular trend and isn’t a privilege anymore. The Fast Company calls it “the new normal”. Remote workers are healthier, more productive, and better at engaging in a work-life balance. But every luxury comes with a set of unique challenges. Solitude, miscommunication, and domestic distractions are some of the well-reported hindrances that diminish an employee’s productivity. But, with a strong wi-fi connection a little bit of quiet, they can hope to renew their motivation and maximize efficiency. The advantages of telecommuting overwhelm its drawbacks and minimal effort enables you to enjoy the luxury of earning from home.
[1] The affects of a lengthy solitary confinement, usually during winter season, is termed as the cabin fever.
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