What is remote working?

Working from home has quickly become a reality for many, swapping daily commutes for a dedicated workspace at home. While that may sound idyllic, working from home can be tough, especially if you struggle with slow or unreliable broadband speeds, which can reduce productivity.

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What is remote work?

Remote work is a working arrangement whereby employees of businesses can carry out their work from a remote location, typically from a home or a private workspace. Remote working has been adopted more widely in the UK since the COVID-19 pandemic as it proved that greater flexibility didn't sacrifice a business's productivity.

Not only has remote work cut out commutes, which is good for work-life balance, but carbon emissions are also being reduced due to fewer vehicles on the road.

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How to remote work in 2024?

Remote working provides opportunities to achieve a better work-life balance and there are a number of different ways to work remotely.

Hybrid

A popular method for remote working in 2024 is a hybrid arrangement which means you may work at home for 1-4 days of the week and commute into the office or business workspace for in-person events and meetings for only part of the week. Working remotely may allow you to work from home, where you may have a dedicated home office, or in a nearby cafe, coworking space or you may have the option to still commute to work if you would like to.

Coworking spaces partly or full-time

Another location where remote work can be facilitated is a coworking space, which is a public area with a friendly and quiet atmosphere for different workers. The advantages of coworking spaces include access to a hub of productivity, technology, and community, potentially offering great network connectivity and opportunities to meet others who work in different industries. These public locations are open to all workers and very inclusive of part-time and full-time workers, who may even be freelance or entrepreneurs and have a small number of staff who simply need a single room to operate.

Coworking spaces could be seen as a midpoint between working remotely from home and traditional office spaces as you have the comfort in choosing your location and combining the amenities like Ultrafast broadband, as well as the networking opportunities of a formal office.

Completely remote

Completely remote working provides you with the opportunity to tailor your work around your lifestyle. Some remote workers may even be able to decide their hours of work, making sure they're scheduled-in for when they're most productive or around childminding.

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What are the advantages of remote working?

For employees?
For employers?

Flexible lifestyle

The main reason why you as an employee might appreciate remote working is due to the flexibility it offers. On days when you are working from home or a location of your choosing, you can have more time before and after work as there's no commuting which can make a big difference to your family, hobbies and other lifestyle activities. For instance, a remote worker with children can start work earlier and take a break to do the school run.

Better health and wellness

The Royal Society for Public Health found that UK remote workers are on average less stressed and have a higher morale than in-office employees. 55% of in-office employees feel more stressed because of their commutes, highlighting the importance of being able to start the day comfortably so employees can approach work with a higher morale.

Cuts commutes

If you can work from home, even for just 1 day per week, you will spend less time commuting and saving money on weekly fuel costs. In comparison, an employee who spends 30 minutes per journey to and from the office (Monday to Friday) would have 5 hours less every week compared to a remoter worker and with higher transportation costs.

Renewed passion and appreciation for their work

Remote working can bring a new perspective to your position and allow you to appreciate your role more, due to the flexibility of not being in an office every day. Many employees feel that remote work is a reward and are stimulated to continue to surpass their targets to maintain this privileged way of working.

Remote workers even tend to do their best work outside the office where they can be more inspired by their surroundings and reduce distractions of their choosing.

Higher productivity

For a business, being able to offer a new scheme that not only saves on costs but also increases productivity is a no-brainer. Employees who regularly work remotely are more likely to put extra effort into their roles and work longer hours as a result of the flexibility provided. Even if productivity only increases minimally or not at all, there are no studies in the UK of remote working being the factor for a business's output suffering.

Cost savings

If a business needs to supply less heating, water and electricity to their offices and workspaces, there will be tangible savings made by having remote workers. In fact, since 2020 many UK businesses have closed their previously costly office spaces and have embraced remote working that saves them money and doesn't cost their productivity.

Diversity, equity and inclusion

Businesses that employ remote workers can typically cover a far greater search area as locality to the business isn't as important, with fewer or no commutes. Additionally, remote work has fewer means of discriminating and stereotyping any group within society, so a workforce can become more diverse and representational of the UK population. Employing a remote team is an easy way for a business to ensure greater diversity, equity, and inclusion, even for employees who face unique health challenges.

Engaged employees

Employers who offer remote working opportunities tend to have a higher retention of employees and a workforce with a higher morale, leading to more engagement with work. Since 2020 in particular, businesses that don't offer any flexible working arrangements may struggle when searching for candidates, whilst businesses offering remote work may have a choice of candidates wishing to work for their business.

Positive remote working practices

Here are some general practices that may help to create the best conditions for a better remote working experience.

Joining a meeting whilst working from home

Future-proof technology

Businesses with well-functioning, reliably connected equipment will support higher levels of productivity and conditions for boosted morale. To see how a business can equip remote teams to perform at their best, with low costs and CSR boosting devices, visit Your Co-op Business Solutions.

women working from home using Your Co-op broadband

Culture of trust

Introducing simple and clear policies for remote working should handle the standards and expectations of remote work for both employees and employers. Policies can ensure hours are completed, targets are met, and there is always a positive relationship between the business and remote workers.

Staying connected as a team

Keeping a sense of togetherness and team ethic is vital to remote workers and senior members of businesses may need to play a part in ensuring teams stick together. This could be achieved by regular group calls, occasional meetings in person, social events, and celebrating the achievements of individuals and the team.