The Challenges and Gains of Working Remotely
A workplace revolution has been happening for quite some time now. In the UK alone, since 2020, around 50% of the workforce has worked remotely to some extent. According to studies, remote workers have been found to take fewer sick leaves, remain motivated, and work much longer.
Remote work or “flexplace” implies functioning far from the usual office workspace. It’s generally done from the house, a personal workplace, or any spot the worker prefers. Researchers found that this positive work-life equilibrium led to more effective and healthier workers.
The Advantages
Remote working has become much preferred in the last few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Government restrictions and the need for social distancing made flexplace the proper setup for companies to have continuous operations.
Besides doing away with the necessity to commute to workplaces, remote work allows companies to employ the best workers worldwide. Remote working decreases operation costs and the carbon footprints of employees.
Nonetheless, dependable IT support is required to facilitate bringing the work environment right into the residences. Rather than building or upgrading your IT division from scratch, you can avail of ready services from London IT support by PC Docs, and it’s more cost-efficient.
The Tools
Here are some of the available productivity tools that home IT support London can set up as part of the digital infrastructure.
- VPN – a safe and secure private network that uses encryption over a public network such as the internet.
- Cloud Servers – to make the most of versatility across your companies and facilitate remote working
- Virtual Desktops – are preconfigured images of operating systems, applications, and software programs that the virtual cloud-based workstation can access remotely over a network or the internet.
- Internet Telephony (VoIP)- is a method and group of technologies that allow a full range of internet-based telephony to deliver voice and multimedia communications over the IP networks, such as the internet.
The Challenges
Even with all the unique benefits of remote working, as with anything in life, it also has its share of drawbacks. The first obstacle would be management and teamwork. A new set of skills and proficiencies is required to begin remote work.
Remote workers need to learn to communicate online. Even company meetings and interactions with customers will be performed online. The transition could be difficult, and to make it work effectively, your company can collaborate with business IT support in London to set up the infrastructure and train the employees with the available tools on the market.
How to Maximize Remote Working Setup
Maybe the biggest challenge for a remote employee is managing projects. Tracking tasks and deadlines could be difficult when the group is spread out across various locations. The good news is that there are available tools for every challenge, and there are many options for productivity tools that remote employees can use in their home office arrangement.
Another difficulty is collaboration. How can a team work on the same project when they’re working on different sites and time zones? Fortunately, countless collaboration tools are designed to help break down the barriers among remote workers.
Finally, as a remote worker, find an area where you can work far from disturbances and avoid cafés or public establishments. Have an area designated as a workplace in your home where your household member recognizes you can’t be sidetracked. Most remote workers tend to overwork, which could have a toll on their health. Have a regular shift, and it’s crucial to unplug at a designated time.
