Working remotely - why it is good for your people

While it is true that not everyone prefers working from home to going to the office (and so having a clear division between personal and professional life), there are massive personal benefits to remote working. 

Firstly, it minimises waste of time and energy involved in commuting. Getting up early to catch that morning train is no longer a strain on our (limited) daily resource of willpower. This means we have extra willpower to use for work related challenges. Besides, being able to stay in bed that little bit longer is actually a big deal for most of us and influences productivity throughout the working day. 

Secondly, remote working encourages fluidity between work and life management, which is massively helpful for most of us. A working mum at my company considers it the biggest perk of all that she can be a full time remote worker and pop into the office once a quarter for an unavoidable in-person meeting. Being at home means you can pick up a delivery, let in a plumber and do all those annoying little things that are normally a problem for office workers, as they happen throughout your day. 

Isn’t it a distraction from work? Probably not more so than all the coffee machine or water cooler conversations. And the benefit of being able to fit more into your day is considerable. 

Lastly, focus. Quite a few colleagues told me they work from home when they need to “bosh through stuff” without being distracted by the office banter or uninvited questions from others. 

What if you actually like office banter? It’s easy enough to move it online. Ever since the lockdown started those of my team who enjoy a little social time meet at 11 am and 3 pm for a morning and an afternoon “natter session” on Google Hangouts. On top of this, we have a “coping circle” aimed at helping those who find it difficult to deal with pressures of a lockdown on their own.