What Are the Pros and Cons of Employees Working Remotely?

By Ernest Hamilton

Jun 18, 2021 09:44 AM EDT

What Are the Pros and Cons of Employees Working Remotely?(What Are the Pros and Cons of Employees Working Remotely?) (Credit: Getty Image)

In March of 2020, suddenly, it seemed like the entire country was working remotely. Of course that wasn't true because many jobs can't be done remotely, but for the ones that could be, the pandemic forced the hand of a lot of employers. 

Employers quickly got up to speed on how to make it work. 

For example, they started relying more heavily on technology across the board. They were introducing an intranet for the finance industry that would promote productivity and collaboration. Zoom was no longer an abstract idea-it was a necessity. Employers started thinking about the cybersecurity implications of remote work and how to proactively avoid issues. 

Now, we're at a different place, and a lot of employers are demanding workers come back into the office at least partially. 

Employees are resisting. 

Recently, Morgan Stanley told workers they would come back to the office at the end of the summer, even if they don't want to. 

Companies calling employees back is giving rise to the great debate. Which is better, remote work or being there in-person? 

The following are some of both the pros and cons of remote work. 

The Pros of Remote Work

The following are some of the benefits of letting workers continue to be at home, primarily from the perspective of an employer. 

Less Overhead

Undoubtedly one of the biggest benefits of keeping your employees remote is the fact that you can downsize your office space or maybe get rid of it altogether. Your overhead can go down pretty significantly. 

Access to a Wider Talent Pool

One of the biggest challenges facing businesses in all industries and locations right now is that they can't fill positions, specifically skilled talent roles. 

It's impacting the economy, and it's likely that will continue. 

When your employees work remotely, then you're not limited to a talent pool in your geographic area. You can hire from around the country or the world to fill positions. 

Happier Employees

For the most part, employees do seem to be happier when they work remotely. It's easier to balance other aspects of their life, they have more time with family, and they're spending less time on those irritating things that come with working in an office like long commutes. 

When employees are happier and less stressed, they may contribute more meaningfully to their business, and they may stay onboard longer. 

What About the Cons of Remote Work?

The following are some of the downsides of remote work situations that also have to be considered to make educated decisions. 

Communication Problems

While the technology to communicate efficiently might be available, there do tend to be bumps in the road when people are trying to communicate entirely remotely. 

For example, things might be misconstrued in an email when otherwise they would be better understood in person because of nonverbal cues. 

Lack of Boundaries

While some employees find that working remotely helps them maintain their work-life balance, for others, they end up working more. There are blurred lines and a lack of boundaries where employees think they have to be "on" all the time. 

Not All Employees Are Self-Motivated

Everyone is different, and that's okay, but that means that remote work may not be a viable option for some employees. 

If an employee isn't self-motivated or has a hard time working without direct supervision, their productivity is going to decline in a remote work environment. 

Lack of Corporate Culture

Corporate culture is a defining feature of your employer brand, and it's how you set yourself apart when you're hiring new people. Corporate culture is also what keeps employees engaged and contributing. 

It's hard to maintain corporate culture when employees work remotely, although it's not impossible. 

So what does all this mean? Do the pros or the cons outweigh one another?

What a lot of major companies are finding out is that it's not an either-or that's going to work best for them going forward. 

Instead, what they're doing is creating a plan that works best for their business and their employees. 

That might mean, as an example, a hybrid schedule where employees come into the office some of the time and work from home the rest of the time. 

It might also be that some employees are better suited for remote work and have shown better productivity and performance over the past year than others, so they might have more choices as far as returning to the office. 

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