10 Things Employees Love and 10 Things They Hate About Work-From-Home

With the current pandemic crisis, remote working is the only option for employees around the world. Indeed ‘business as usual’ is currently the top priority of organisations. However, now that employees have to take to this new way of working – without any transition phase – there are many challenges being encountered by both employees and their organisations.

There are two sides to a coin – for some employees, work-from-home can be a boon and a bane at the same time. Each individual has their own experience with remote work. And having a love-hate relationship with the situation is natural. Ultimately, it all depends on how employees and companies cope with this new way of working.

Let’s look at some things your employees love about working from home, and some that they dislike:

10 Things Employees Love About Work-from-home

1. Flexible Schedule

As long as the work is done promptly, employees are free to organise their day as they see fit. They can take breaks as per their preference, have lunch at any time, hang out with family, and more.

2. Save Time on Commuting

The time spent on roads can be spent on something more productive. No more traffic jams, hustle-bustle of public transport or noisy honks of irate motorists. Welcome to the indoor world, free from pollution and crowds! Remote working saves both time and money spent on commuting. It will have a positive impact on employees, leading to more happiness and motivation over time.

3. Lesser Expenses for Employees

Apart from the money spent on commuting, employees can also save money on lunch, coffee, snacks, etc. At home, they get to prepare their own food and have homemade treats, which means lesser expenses incurred, avoiding those trips to the office cafeteria or restaurants.

4. Cosy Clothes

There are no stringent dress code rules; employees can dress down and get casual wearing the clothes that make them feel at home. As long as they are not on video calls, they get to wear clothing as per their choice. Now, that’s one big perk!

5. More Time with Loved Ones

Another big advantage is that employees get to spend quality time with their family, take care of a sick significant other at home, take breaks to do household chores with kids, get extra snuggles with pets, etc. Thanks to work-from-home, employees might just have time to invest in the well-being of their family that is otherwise not possible with a hectic schedule at the office.

6. Custom Work Environment

Your employees can tweak their work zone as per their convenience – be it the couch, table or bed and take turns switching from one place to another while at it. As long as they are connected with a laptop and wifi, they are free to choose their work environment, alternating somewhere between the ‘mighty quiet’ to being at the ‘front row of a rock show’ to change the tempo of work.

7. Power Naps

If your employees have a few minutes to spare in between their work schedules; they might have just enough time to hit the snooze button for a bit. A quick power nap can restore focus and divert energy, helping your employees become more productive…as long as they don’t doze off and slog behind on work.

8. Revive Mental and Physical Health 

Office time can get stressful and employees might not even have a moment to spare. But at home, they get to be in control of their time. From getting a quick walk to getting some fresh air, squeezing in a 15-minute workout, or simply spending some alone-time, employees are in charge of their health.

9. No Office Distractions

When in office, employees are bound to face some frustrations over co-workers that make it difficult to do their job. Co-workers gossiping about the latest show, sirens wailing outside the window or the AC freezing you to death; employees can get disturbed at times. Although this largely depends on their personality, employees can work in peace, free from distractions at home.

10. More Time in the Day

For fortunate employees, not needing to drive, dressing up or putting on make-up can leave them with some spare time to catch up on a new book or any other hobby that they have always wanted to indulge in. All that extra time can now be put to good use.

10 Things Employees Don’t Like About Work-from-home

1. Loneliness

Even for introverted employees who prefer long stretches of uninterrupted time, feeling lonely at times is inevitable. It’s natural to feel that way when employees are unable to interact with co-workers physically.

2. Distractions

There might be several distractions that can take your employees to a less productive side if they are not in control of the flexible work schedule. One part of them might remind them of a deadline coming up but the other cannot wait to binge-watch the four episodes of Supernatural on Netflix. Or when employees have to check and answer their emails, they drift off to checking their Facebook page to see the recent comments on their posts.

3. Unable to Stick to a Routine

The order of organising and prioritising activities at the office is almost never the same as at home. It can be hard to follow the same routine and keep up with scheduled tasks amidst the frenzy of the home environment.

4. Boredom

Employees are bound to get bored, missing coffee breaks and the familiar office banter. The lack of physical interaction with co-workers can put them in a tight spot, especially for outgoing personalities.

5. Missing Important Calls or Pings

Sometimes, employees might miss those necessary nudges of the office at home when they go into a relaxed mode. They might have put their phone on do not disturb mode only to realise that they have just missed the scheduled web conference session. Or the boss messages them on Slack, asking to prioritise a different task, and now they are finding it hard to get back on track.

6. Working Slowly

The office provides a quick whiff of energy that might be lacking at home. There might be some days when employee productivity levels fall down because they have no colleagues to keep them accountable.

7. Waiting for an Answer

When employees have a question, getting clarification can take hours and that can halt their schedule of work for the rest of the day. Besides, waiting for a response from a co-worker all day can be a big put off. This can make employees procrastinate and lose precious time.

8. Lack of Separation from Work and Life

Thinking about work all the time can make it tough to mentally relax. Employees will be prone to checking emails during the weekends or stay up late at night working more hours. This is one of the most challenging parts of working from home.

9. Noise in the House

Though there are no co-workers to distract employees, other things in the house – like kids or chores – can be a major distraction. The location of the work zone plays a vital role in this. Kids can walk into video conference calls or they can encounter trouble conversing through phone calls at home. Finding a quiet corner in the house without other distractions is vital.

10. Need to Get Out

All work and no play makes Jack a dull person. Sometimes they might just need to get out of the house to stretch and refresh. Not engaging in social activities can drain them mentally as well.

It’s a strange irony! When at the office, employees reminisce about cosy winter days spent indoors wrapped in their favourite blanket, and now when at home, they miss friendly conversations with co-workers. Work-from-home has its fair share of pros & cons, but as employers, we need to ensure that they are able to cope well with it.