The rise of remote workers can be linked to the COVID-19 pandemic era. But it’s not a new practice, it can be traced back to 1979. It started as a form of experiment, where five IBM employees were allowed to work from home. By 1983, the experiment was expanded to 2,000 people.

COVID-19 brought the world to a standstill but business owners are like the flow of water down a path, they always find a way to flow around obstacles. It was expedient they rethink traditional work models almost overnight.

Giving employees the option of working from home at the time was supposed to be a temporary solution, but it has since then evolved into a viable option or permanent fixture of the global workforce. 

The US Census Bureau discovered a great uptick in people working from home between 2019 and 2021. During this time, the number of people primarily working from home went from about 9 million people to 27.6 million people [ 200% increase].

In the same vein, Upwork research states that, with the growing trend of remote work, approximately 36 million Americans are expected to embrace this work style by 2025.

Where the issue lies isn’t the joy of remote workers enjoying the flexible hours, but the concern of employees as regards how working remotely could be a productivity killer, by and large. 

Does Remote Work Really Kill Productivity?

The question of whether remote workers are less productive than on-site workers is not cut and dried. A study by Owl Labs’ report found that remote workers in the US were 22% likely to be more productive in their jobs than on-site workers.

But it didn’t end there, these remote workers will have to work an additional 1.4 days per month compared to on-site workers, and this tends to increase their risk of burnout.

A 2021 report as documented by Harvard Business Review highlighted that companies with a strong remote work culture recorded a 30% increase in employee satisfaction.

This is an indication that when employees are happy, their productivity level increases. A good example is Google, they reported a 20% spike in team performance [with their remote workers] when collaborative tools are used. 

A study carried out by FlexJobs showed that about 65% of remote employees feel more productive due to fewer distractions. However, 50% of business leaders beg to differ, they believe that when employees are working outside of the traditional office, they don’t work as hard.

But as management and employees continue to express their sentiments, one thing is for sure: employees value flexibility above all else. A McKinsey study shows that 87% of employees prefer working remotely. Another study by FlexJobs indicated that employees with flexible work hours are 29% more productive and 53% more focused than those working in-office.

Therefore, whether working from home increases or decreases productivity largely depends on the individual and the job. Achieving productivity is an ongoing challenge whether for remote or in-office employees, and it can be achieved with the right approach that will be discussed in this blog.

How Remote Workers Feel About Working From Home 

People are not employed to do what they like but to do what their employers require. However, there can be a win-win situation where employees are able to achieve maximum productivity, conveniently. There are many reasons people are more inclined to working from home.

Saving Time, Energy, and Transportation Costs

Getting set for work is one of the hardest part of the work itself. The time one would spend in getting ready and commuting can be spent in getting ready mentally for the work.

Most times, while people are commuting to work, they are already stressed even before starting the work. Before the pandemic, a report revealed American workers spent an average of 54 minutes commuting each day, that’s enough time to be drained.

Remote workers are not the only one saving money [on transportation cost], the company they work for saves significant amount of money as well. According to Lemon.io, startups can save up to $10,601,000 annually on remote workers. Companies get to save money on office space, office supplies, utilities, and so much more.

Better Work-Life Balance

Working remotely creates the avenue for healthy activities. Remote workers tend to enjoy working out, they have flexible time to cook or do other things they love.

This doesn’t mean they have idle time, but because they work remotely, they tend to know how to manage their time and create time for other things that make them happy. This contributes to better physical and mental health and, therefore, improves employee well-being and productivity.

The numbers don’t lie, according to a study by Owl Labs, 33% of fully remote employees say they have a better work-life balance, compared to 25% of hybrid working employees and 17% of fully in-person employees.

The Downsides Remote Workers May Experience While Working from Home

While remote workers enjoy the peace of mind that comes with working from home, they also experience some downsides. Let’s take a look at a few of them;

Remote Workers Experience Isolation or Loneliness

Seeing your other colleagues at work can create some drive and motivation even when work gets a little intense. You may not get direct support or help to lessen your workload but there is indirect support you get when you know you’re not alone.

Remote workers may experience isolation or detachment from their colleagues which may lead to loneliness and reduced productivity. A research that involved over 1,000 remote workers across 55 countries showed that 21% of participants experienced recurring loneliness.

Loneliness can take a toll on the mental health of individuals, and can lead to lack of motivation, mood swings, and low productivity.

Limited Access to Resources

Remote workers may not have access to the same equipment or resources as those in an office setting.

Accessing the internet itself could even be a major challenge especially for remote workers in developing countries and even some developed countries. There could be network fluctuation once in a while. In a study by Slack, up to 1 in 4 employees experience unstable remote connectivity as a challenge.

Overworking and Burnout

Working from home creates a mixup where your personal life could struggle and compete with your professional life.

It’s more like, “you’re home, but not home. You’re at work, but not fully at work.” When there’s no clear boundaries [which most people struggle with] between your work and personal life, you may find it difficult to disconnect from work, and this could lead to overworking and burnout.

A study showed that 51% of workers were worried about experiencing burnout due to incessant calls when working from home.

Security Issues

One of the serious challenges associated with remote work is security. A study by Forbes shows the rise in cyber threats targeting remote workers, with about 73% of executives believing it poses a greater security risk.

This is not far-fetched since employees usually access sensitive company data from unsecured networks and personal devices, which exposes them to cyber attacks.

3 Tips Remote Workers Can Use to Increase Productivity

1. Set up a Schedule

When you don’t create a good plan for your work life at home, it can lead to frustration, distraction, and ultimately, low productivity.

One of the benefits of setting up a schedule is, it helps you maintain a work-life balance. Everything should be planned for, including taking breaks, walking around, snacking, even sleeping if your work is flexible enough. 

2. Set up a Designated Work Space 

Working on the couch or on your bed may not give you the focus and concentration you need. It wouldn’t hurt that much to either get a co-working space or simply set up an office in your home.

It may cost you something, but you should factor it into your budget. Setting up an office space or using a co-working space will make your life a lot easier and you will be more productive.

3. Use the Pomodoro Technique 

The pomodoro technique is one of the best techniques you can use to ensure maximum concentration, minimal distractions, and optimum productivity.

You can do this by focusing on a task squarely for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break to do something else that is not work-related, repeat this cycle four times, then take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes. 

You can repeat the whole cycle as many times as possible. This will help you set boundaries between your work and personal life.

3 Tips Employers Can Use to Increase Productivity with their Remote Workers

1. Overcommunication

It’s possible to ensure productivity with remote workers when the right practices are put in place. If as a supervisor, you think you have communicated enough, do it two more times.

Remote workers don’t get the benefit of face-to-face interaction. You may assume you’ve passed a message across but you didn’t. Maybe you did and they didn’t get it, or it skipped their minds because of everything else happening around them at home.

Pass the information in a Zoom meeting, then reemphasize it in an email. This way, there won’t be any form of oversight or forgetfulness.

2. Remote Workers’ Training 

A recent study by LinkedIn shows that organizations that engage in recurrent employee training  recorded a 24% profit margin and 218% higher income per employee.

Remote employees need training in soft skills, cyber security, and other training attached to their job roles. They need to know that they are not an extension of the organization, but a wholesome part of the organization. Constant training will keep them be up-to-date with company culture and best practices.

For instance, you can start a newsletter, create a remote work handbook, or equip supervisors to manage remote teams effectively.

3. Prioritize Mental Health

Remote jobs are flexible and people love it, but remote workers also struggle with loneliness that is as a result of physical isolation from colleagues.

According to a research carried out by Forbes, 69% of remote workers said they go through burnout due to constant use of communication tools.

Mental fatigue is real, hence, leaders need to pay attention to the mental health of their remote workers by putting in place wellness programs, counselling services, and so on.

Shopify has taken this seriously by creating mental health days, where employees have access to mental health resources. According to World Health Organization, organizations that provide mental health support can boost their productivity by up to 10%. 

Another way to reduce burnout from constant use of communication tools is by adopting asynchronous communication- people are not robots, they get tired.

This approach allows remote workers to respond to messages or emails on their own schedule. That is, they get to work during their most productive hours. This approach focuses on results, rather than time. 

This may not work for all job roles, but many remote workers can benefit from it. Employers need to build some level of trust in their employees to use asynchronous communication approach, and it sure boost anyone’s mental capacity when they know they are trusted.

Bottom Line

The essence of running a business is to serve value and make profit while at it. The COVID-19 pandemic was a testament to the fact that, business owners will use every strategy possible to ensure their businesses keep thriving. Remote jobs and hybrid work systems was one of those strategies adopted to keep businesses running. Now that most companies are adopting the remote work system, productivity is a thing of concern.

Productivity is the energy businesses use to keep moving forward, without it, not much can be achieved. While conversations on productivity of remote workers will continue to be debated among executives and managers, it is clear that it could be hard sometimes, but not impossible. It lies solely on using the right policies and understanding the nature of each job role, if it can be fully remote, hybrid, or on-site.

Remote workers love remote jobs, it makes them happy, maybe it’s time the employers embrace this, as happy workers can dare the impossible, and in turn increase their productivity level.

I hope you found this post helpful. You can leave a comment below and share this with others.

Editor: Olamide Odutolu